The Games of the Gods, Book One: Setting the Board
by vericus
Summary: The last thing Rachel wanted to become was a tooperfect MarySue. But when she dies and gets transported to MiddleEarth with her friend, she finds she has little choice in the matter. Rating for language and being a MarySue with an attitude.
1. Rain

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-

**Author's Note 3/23/13: **There are pictures relating to this story mentioned further on in this story. You can find a link to them from my profile page. Also, as much as I love hearing that people still appreciate this story, _please_ don't review every chapter while reading it. I'd rather leave review notifications on, but getting spammed by almost 80 reviews is enough to make me want to turn them off.

-Disclaimer:-  
I don't own anything except the character of Rachel and Kari. All other names, places, creatures, etc, belong to Tolkien (or at least to his estate). In other words, I don't own them, and I'm not claiming to.

-1: Rain-

There are a lot of foolish things I've done in my life. Most of them I've paid for, either promptly or later in life, and so I learn that the thing is foolish and I should not do it again. Unfortunately, I have friends, most of which do not either have the experience with doing certain foolish things I've done, or have done them and endured no consequences.

Like, for example, dancing in a rainstorm. A crazy thing to do, I know, but I've been called crazy many times in my life. Dancing in the rain is actually one of the less crazy things I've done, but one of the more foolish, as whenever I do it, I catch a cold. So, I know it is a foolish thing to do. My friend Kari, however, seems to have an internal furnace, and dancing in the rain does nothing more to her the get her wet and, depending on whether she's dancing on grass or dirt-turned-mud, either cleaner or dirtier. So she often convinces me to come out dancing in the rain with her, and I invariably come down with a cold afterwards, while she suffers no consequences whatsoever.

Despite this - or perhaps because of it - whenever there's a rainstorm outside, and Kari's feeling cheery, we invariably go out dancing in the rain. It was during one of these escapades in the rain that I discovered something even more foolish then dancing in the rain - dancing in the rain of a thunder and lightning storm. Especially when you're out in the middle of the Australian outback, with nothing higher then you for miles except your house.

I suppose I should have seen it coming. I mean, our house was like a magnet for lightning - it was the largest concentration of metal for miles. Kari should have seen it if I didn't - we usually catch the things the other one misses - but she was concentrating solely on the rain. So we both jumped several feet in the air when, as we danced in front of our house, a huge peal of thunder came from right behind us.

It was several minutes before I managed to drag myself out of the mud I'd fallen into, and looked up at the house. It was burning, of course - we had a lightning rod, but that strike had just been too much for it. And it had been too much for my ears, I realized as I discovered I couldn't even hear the crackling of the flames as they ate at the house, nor the sizzle of the rain drops falling into the fire. Tentatively, I put my hands up to my ears, and when I brought them back in front of me, there was blood on my fingers.

"Great. My ears are bleeding." I mumbled to myself, though I couldn't hear it. I considered running into the house to phone the nearest town's fire department, but the fire looked as if it was in the kitchen - the location of our only phone, as it happened - and was spreading quickly through our small house, with smoke already pouring out of the windows and door. Sighing, I turned to Kari.

You may think I surrendered too easily, but you should know that Kari and I have had our house burn down before, about a year ago, while we were away on vacation. So anything of real sentimental value was long gone, and the fire had taught us to keep numerous backups and copies of anything important. Which was why, when I saw Kari still face down in the mud, I was more concerned about her then the house.

I went over to her quickly, kneeled down in the mud next to her, and carefully rolled her over. There was no response from her, and, worried, I felt at her neck for a pulse. After a few minutes, I gave up and grabbed her wrist instead - I could only ever find someone's pulse in their neck when it was incredibly strong, and Kari's pulse was evidently not incredibly strong. But after a few minutes of trying, I couldn't even find her pulse on her wrist. Now extremely worried, I leant down to put my ear to her chest to see if I could hear her heartbeat before I remembered that the thunder had wrecked my hearing. Instead, I put my hand on her rib cage and relaxed so my hand would rise and fall with her breath - but it didn't.

Now panicking, I searched my memory for the CPR course that my mother had made me take when I was younger, but discovered that I'd done another foolish thing when taking that course and not paid attention. I could remember nothing - or at least, nothing so clearly that I would risk trying it. I looked at the house again, and from this angle, I could see that the fire was mostly in the living room; the north wall of the kitchen - the wall with the phone - looked to be untouched. I was panicky, and worried for Kari, and so I did another foolish thing - I ran into the house to get to the phone.

I got to the phone alright, but only then realized that there was only a small chance of all the necessary connections needed to run the phone being intact. I also realized that it was basically useless for me to try and use and phone when unable to hear. But, hoping against hope, I grabbed the phone, dialed the nearest hospitals emergency number, waited for a few moments, then quickly rambled off what was happening, explaining that I couldn't hear so I was just trusting that there was someone on the other end. By the time I was done, the heat had become so strong I felt as if my clothes were going to burst into flames at any moment, so I hung up the phone quickly and dashed for the door.

I don't think I made it. That part of my memory has never been very clear, but I think one of the beams of the roof came loose and hit me while I was running. It probably killed me instantly. I figured that out later, of course. All I knew at the time was that one moment I was running for the door, and the next I was enveloped in a comforting darkness. The next part of my memory is pretty fuzzy, as well, but I remember seeing a bright light, and hearing a voice. I think I replied, though I can't for the life of me remember what was said. Then I was enveloped in darkness again, and my consciousness slipped away.

-To be Continued-  
(Man that sounds corny...)


	2. Discovery

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Not mine! Nothing but the characters of Rachel and Kari are mine! I don't even really have control of the characters that I've borrowed, either...they seem to go off in directions all their own...  
  
-2: Discovery-  
  
Glorfindel walked quickly through the forest, intent on his destination. He really didn't know what that destination was, but he had had the strongest urge to walk This Way when he'd taken a break from archery practice, and he'd learned over his many years that if you got a strong feeling to Do Something you should do it. It was usually advantageous to you, or at least was better then ignoring the feeling altogether, since such strong feelings to Do A Certain Thing seemed to be prompted by the Valar, and it was not wise to upset them.  
  
So there Glorfindel was, walking This Way, having no clue where he was going and how long it would take to get there. He was slightly worried, since a party from Lothlorien had recently arrived in Rivendell, and he was expected to be sitting at the main table next to Elrond that night for supper. But it was only just past noon, so he had plenty of time before he needed to actually start worrying about going back.  
  
And fortunately for him, the Valar were in a relatively kind, if mischievous, mood that afternoon, so his destination was only a short ways away. It proved to be nothing more then a stream running through the wilderness, and the only reason Glorfindel knew it was the place was that the urge to walk This Way suddenly stopped. So he stopped and looked around, wondering what on Arda the Valar could want him out here for.  
  
The answer came a few moments later, when two figures suddenly came hurtling out of the water towards him. Startled, he quickly stepped out of the way, drawing his sword in case of an attack, but the figures simply crashed to the ground where he had been standing and lay still. He watched the figures on the grass for a few moments, then cautiously sheathed his sword and went over to the figures. They were small figures, smaller then Glorfindel, at least, and extremely waterlogged. The dresses they were wearing revealed them as female, and when Glorfindel cautiously lifted some of the waterlogged hair of one of them, he found a delicately pointed ear. So they were two water-logged female elves. That had just shot out of the water at him while unconscious.  
  
Glorfindel sighed, wondering why to Valar loved to make his life so interesting, then set about carefully rolling the two elves over, hoping to find out something more about them from their faces. The first elf rolled over without so much as a twitch, and a quick scan of her face revealed that she was a typical Lorien elf. Curious, Glorfindel wondered if these two could have been part of the party from Lothlorien that had gotten lost, and he quickly went to turn the other elf over. As he did so, however, the elf groaned and opened her eyes. Upon seeing him above her, peering down curiously, she promptly yelped and attempted to use her hands to scurry away from him.  
  
"I'm not going to hurt you." Glorfindel said with amusement. The elf seemed not to have heard, however, and instead just stared at him with what looked like immense shock on her face. After a few moments of silence, Glorfindel tried again. "I am Glorfindel. What is your name?" There was a pause, and then the elf seemed to shake herself out of her shock and answered.  
  
"Kari." she replied. Glorfindel arched his eyebrow again at the unusual name, which he'd never heard before, but decided not to say anything.  
  
"What about your companion?" he asked, nodding towards the unconscious form of the other elf. The elf named Kari glanced down at her companion, and seemed to visibly start. After a long pause, Kari carefully tucked her hair behind her ears, took a deep breath, and answered.  
  
"Rachel." she said, and Glorfindel shook his head slightly as he heard then name - he'd never heard it before, either, though it sounded vaguely like a name of one of the race of Men, not an elf.  
  
"Where are we?" Kari's tentative question brought Glorfindel back to the problem at hand.  
  
"Not far from Rivendell." he said, and he could see Kari's eyes widen slightly in shock. "Where are you from?"  
  
"Uh...Hollin." the elf said after a pause.  
  
"Really?" Glorfindel asked with interest. "I had heard all the elves from Eregion had gone into the west long ago."  
  
"Well, we - Rachel and I - have been traveling for quite awhile." Kari answered. Only a slight hesitation in her voice let Glorfindel know that she wasn't telling the truth - or at least not the entire truth - but he decided not to push the topic further until later.  
  
"Do you remember what happened before you woke up?" Glorfindel asked. Kari bit her lip, looking down at her friend, then looked back at Glorfindel and shook her head slowly.  
  
"The last thing I remember was riding along the edges of Fangorn." she said.  
  
"That is a long ways from here." Glorfindel said with surprise.  
  
"I know. Which was why when you said we were near Rivendell I was so surprised." Kari replied.  
  
"Hm." Glorfindel said, looking thoughtfully at the two elves. His mind was swirling with questions, but after glancing up at the sky, he decided questions could wait until later. He needed to start moving now if he was to get back to Rivendell in time for supper - though he had a feeling that if the two elf-maidens came with him back to Rivendell, supper would be delayed somewhat. There was nothing for that, however - he would not leave them out here in the wilderness, even if they wanted to. The Last Alliance might have destroyed most of Sauron's forces and destroyed his fortress, but his spirit was still alive, and not all of the evil in the land was due to him.  
  
"Come, we should go to Rivendell. Your friend may be hurt, and it is not safe even this close to Rivendell." Glorfindel said, standing. Kari carefully stood up, and for the first time appeared to realize she was soaking wet.  
  
"Where did you find us?" she asked, making a face.  
  
"In the river." Glorfindel answered as he went over to the elf named Rachel and lifted her up. He would keep the fact that they'd come shooting out of the river at him for a later date, when perhaps it might be of some importance. Now, it made little difference. "Come, it's a good walk back to Rivendell." he said, and set off the way he had come, the water from the elf Rachel's clothing already soaking into his own clothing. Kari followed him quickly, leaving a trail of wet footsteps.   
  
So it was that Elrohir and Elladan, just come looking for the elf-lord, found Glorfindel an hour later as he walked towards Rivendell - carrying an unconscious, damp elf-maiden, and followed by another damp elf-maiden.  
  
"Been having an adventure without us, Glorfindel?" Elladan asked with amusement.  
  
"These two are the ones that had an adventure, Elladan; I simply came across them afterwards." Glorfindel replied.  
  
"And who would these two lovely maidens be?" Elrohir asked with curiosity, smiling at Kari and causing her to blush.  
  
"The one I'm carrying I am told is named Rachel, and this other one is Kari. They say they came from Eregion, before it was laid to waste, and have been traveling since then." Glorfindel replied. "But now is not the time to explain further. Lady Rachel has been unconscious for an hour, at the very least. There is no visible hurt on her, but I still fear an injury."  
  
"Well, let us bring her to father, then." Elrohir said. "I shall go tell him we found you and you are bringing injured company." With that, the young elf dashed off through the trees. Glorfindel shook his head and smiled slightly at the young elf's energy, then started walking again, with Elladan falling in beside him, shooting curious glances at Kari as they went.  
  
They reached Rivendell quick enough, and found Elrond waiting for them, a mixture of curiosity and concern on his face. He quickly appraised the two elf maidens, both unconscious and conscious, and then motioned for Glorfindel to follow him as he led the way through the corridors to one of the sick rooms in Rivendell. It was more of an injured room then a sick room, since Elves never became sick, but it was called a sick room for the sake of familiarity.  
  
The room was medium-sized, with a large bed at its center, taking up most of the room. There was a small wardrobe for the occupant's belongings, two or three chairs, and a small table with a pot of flowers on it, but no other furniture. There were many windows in the room, since three of the room's walls were outside walls. Other then that, there was the door they had entered by, and a small balcony on the eastern side of the room.  
  
All this Glorfindel barely noticed, having been in the room before - both to use it and to visit others using it - but as he set the Elf Rachel down, he saw Kari looking around with awe. He frowned slightly - he'd visited Eregion once, before its inhabitants had left for the west, and in his opinion, it had been more awe-inspiring then Rivendell. But perhaps Kari had become unused to seeing Elvish dwellings, and was just reacting with awe to being among her kindred again after so long traveling.  
  
As Glorfindel thought, Elrond had been carefully examining Rachel, and now straightened and spoke quickly to Elrohir. The young elf bowed to his father, then slipped quickly out of the room. This seemed to bring Kari's attention back to her friend, and she now turned to Elrond with a worried and anxious face.  
  
"Well?" she asked when it became apparent that Elrond was not going to supply any information on his own.  
  
"She is physically fine, but her mind seems to be suffering from some sort of trauma." Elrond said slowly, turning to Kari with a solemn expression. "As soon as Elrohir has returned with some herbs, and I have administered them, I would very much like to hear the tale of how your companion came to be so injured." Kari took a deep breath, then nodded, and silence fell over the room for a few moments, when Elrohir returned, his arms full of herbs, along with an empty bowl and a measuring scoop.  
  
"You needn't have brought me the entire containers." Elrond said, amused, as he glanced at what his son was carrying.  
  
"Well you didn't tell me how much of each you wanted." Elrohir said practically, setting his burden down on top of the small table. Elrond just shook his head, smiling slightly, and started opening various containers, measuring out amounts of their contents into the empty bowl. The last jar he opened was full of water, and this he just about emptied into the bowl with the mixture of herbs. Almost immediately, a wholesome, refreshing scent, like the air just after a rainstorm, filled the room, and all the elves breathed deeply.  
  
"Ah, athelas..." Elrohir said quietly, and Elrond smiled as he carried his mixture over to the unconscious elf on the bed. Carefully lifting Rachel's head, he poured the liquid into her mouth slowly, letting her reflexes swallow for her even though she was asleep. When it was gone, he set the bowl back on the table, then turned to the waiting elves.  
  
"Now, Elrohir, you can take that all back to the storeroom. Elladan, you stay here and watch for if she wakes up. Glorfindel and Kari, come to my study. We have much to discuss." Elrond said. Everyone nodded in response, and Elrond left the room with Glorfindel and Kari following, while Elladan helped load the containers of herbs back into his twin's arms before sitting down next to Rachel's bed.  
  
----To be Continued----  
(Still sounds corny...)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
  
Well, there you have it, the first two chapters of my new FanFiction. I wasn't sure about posting this, but, meh, I have several chapters written already, and this idea has been kicking around my brain since the middle of 'No Eyes Needed'. (I wrote the first few chapters of this while in the middle of NEN, actually.) So here it be. I have no idea how quickly I'll be able to update, what with school starting and such, but rest assured, it will be as quickly as possible.  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	3. Waking

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
I own it all! Muhahahahahahaha!  
  
Elrond: No you don't.  
  
Yes I do.  
  
Glorfindel: No, you don't.  
  
Shut up, I do!  
  
Elrohir and Elladan: No you don't!  
  
Arg, damn Elf Lords. Fine. I don't own any of it. Happy?  
  
Rachel: Hey, what about me?  
  
Oh, right, I own you. But that's all.  
  
Kari: I feel disowned...  
  
-3: Waking-  
  
Consciousness returned to my mind with the feeling of a soft mattress beneath me, and a warm blanket on top of me. I had never felt so soft a bed, and was sure I was dreaming. Opening my eyes only confirmed that I was dreaming, I knew there was no place on earth that could even remotely look like where I was. The ceiling itself was a masterwork of craftsmanship, and more then that, it seemed to emit a small glow all by itself. Not the harsh glow of glow-in-the-dark paint, but a gentle glow, like moonlight. After spending several minutes just admiring the ceiling, I wondered if this dream had a point other then to show me a really nice ceiling, and so raised my head to look around.  
  
What I found was a room just as beautiful as the ceiling, if not more, and glowing just as lightly. It was sparsely furnished, but that was not what caught my eye. For, sitting in the chair next to the bed, staring off into space, was a young man. Looking him over, I was rather stunned. He was quite possibly the most handsome man I had ever seen. I wondered what on earth I could have done right in my life to be having such a dream as this. His absolute gorgeousness was somewhat dampened by the fact that he seemed to be completely ignoring me, but hey, it was more than I'd ever dreamed of to ever be able to even SEE such a fine specimen of a man. Of course, it was then that my eyes caught on his ears, and my eyes bugged out. Pointed ears.  
  
Right. No more dancing in the rain. I was probably sick with a fever and this was a hallucination-dream. Granted, any dream with a really really nice looking specimen of an Elf in it was a good dream, but the state my body was most likely in while I was having it was not a nice thought. But still, instead of worrying about what state my body must be in, I started to think about the room and the fact that there was an Elf sitting next to my bed, ignoring me. And it hit me, as I lay there in bed - this room, the Elf, all of it reminded me very heavily of Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings'. My hand trembling slightly with sudden fear, I reached over to my other arm and pinched myself hard. And dammit, it hurt.  
  
I looked over at the Elf sitting beside the bed, then around the room again, and I'm pretty sure my eyes bugged out yet more. After a moment, overwhelmed by the thought that this was no dream and I could very likely be in Middle-Earth, I let my head fall back to the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. Thoughts raced through my head, most about how this was impossible, I couldn't be here, I must be in some sort of coma and hallucinating.  
  
So I started trying to figure out what the last thing I could remember was. My eyes widened once again, this time with horror, as I remembered the lightning, my ears bleeding, and the foolish dash into the house to use the phone. It disturbed me greatly that I couldn't remember anything past running out of the house, and I wondered if I'd been given a knock on the head. I was distracted by that, however, when I realized that I could hear birds singing outside. I absently wondered if my hearing had just been damaged, not lost altogether, and I'd been out long enough that it had now healed, but my mind was coming back to the topic at hand - where I was.  
  
I spent quite awhile debating whether or not I was in Middle-Earth, and finally realized that the only was to be sure was to ask the Elf still sitting beside my bed. Carefully, I sat up in bed. The Elf didn't stir, and I peered at him closer. It was then that I saw that his eyes were unfocused and slightly glazed over, his breathing slow and steady. The little bugger was asleep. Annoyed, I raked my hands through my hair, considering how to get the Elf's attention. I was, however, thoroughly distracted from that when my fingertips touched the tips of my POINTED ears.  
  
I'm pretty sure I sat there in shock for quite a while. Then I raised my hands to my ears again, and, still feeling the point, gulped heavily. At that point, I also realized that my toes looked farther away than normal, and I quickly deduced I'd grown several inches. Suddenly panicky, I pulled a lock of my hair in front of my face. I found that it was its normal length - down to the base of my shoulder-blades - but had somehow changed from its normal jet-black to so-blonde-it-was-almost-white. My fingers strayed back to the tips of my ears, and I swallowed, almost fearing to even wonder what colour my normally blue eyes were. This was way too weird. I ran my hand through my hair and took a shaky breath, then turned to the Elf sleeping in the chair beside my bed. My panic of suddenly finding myself in a body not my own was lessened somewhat when I noted that the Elf was starting to slip off his chair on the left side.  
  
One thing I've found in life is that while everybody always tells you to grow up and act your age, if you do, everybody is suddenly telling you to loosen up and act like a kid again. So, I have never squashed my impulses to do terribly childish and terribly amusing things. And I wasn't about to stop now, in Middle-Earth with my looks radically changed or not. Slowly, I reached out towards the Elf and poked him in his right side. As planned, he awoke with a startled yelped and jumped sideways, away from my poking finger, which resulted in him falling out of the chair and onto the floor with a loud thump. I grinned as I leaned over the side of the bed to look down at him on the floor.  
  
"I see you're better." the Elf grumped.  
  
"I could be deathly ill and still unable to resist that sort of opportunity." I replied, still grinning, and the Elf rolled his eyes, though he looked at me slightly curiously. Belatedly, I remembered that Elves don't get sick, and I was apparently an elf. I mentally shrugged. Oh well, if they asked, I'd just have to tell them I wasn't really an elf.  
  
"You're awake, at least." the Elf said, hauling himself to his feet. "I shall go tell the others." I wanted to ask who these 'others' were, but the elf was already gone, and I figured I'd find out soon enough, anyways. And I was right. Within a few moments, the Elf returned, this time with a lamp, and was followed by four other Elves, three male and one female. Two of the males had dark hair, like the Elf that had been sleeping by my bed, and one of those two looked like he could be the identical twin of the other Elf, while the other one looked so much like the two that they had to be related. The other two elves were a different story altogether - blond haired and so different in appearances there could be no relation whatsoever. But the female blond elf looked familiar. And when she bounded forward with a happy squeal, I realized that this was Kari. Who I had last seen dead. Slightly dazed, I let myself be wrapped in one of Kari's infamous near-fatal bear hugs. I quickly regretted that.  
  
"Kari, I need to breath." I managed to squeak out.  
  
"You sure about that?" Kari asked with a grin as she released me.  
  
"Not really, but I would rather not experiment." I replied with just as big a grin. At this point, I noticed the other four Elves were looking at us with rather amused expressions.  
  
"Who are your friends?" I asked Kari, nodding towards the other Elves. Kari gave me a look that warned me to prepare for anything, and I suddenly wondered if it had been such a smart idea to cause that Elf to fall out of his chair.  
  
"Rachel, this is Lord Elrond Peredhil, his sons Elrohir and Elladan - don't ask me which is which - and Lord Glorfindel." Kari introduced. I nearly choked. 'Anything' did not cover this.  
  
"So we'd be in Rivendell?" I asked after a moment, feeling dazed once more.  
  
"Yep." Kari replied. "It's a long way from Fangorn, I know." Confused, I turned to Kari to ask her what the heck she was talking about, but the look in her eyes told me to play along.  
  
"Uh, yes, it is." I said. "What happened?"  
  
"We were hoping you could tell us." Lord Elrond said. "Lord Glorfindel found you two in a river not far from here, and Lady Kari says that the last thing she could remember was riding along the edges of Fangorn Forest. We thought you might remember more." I blinked, and thought fast. I have never been a fast thinker, however, so I just shook my head.  
  
"I'm afraid I can't remember anything more." I said.  
  
"You have no idea what could have injured you?" Glorfindel asked intently.  
  
"Well, before I can get an idea, I would like to know how I was injured." I replied.  
  
"Your mind seemed to be suffering from some sort of trauma." Lord Elrond replied. That would probably be due to the sudden loss of hearing, the lightning and later smoke, and the trip between worlds, I thought sarcastically. Out loud, however, I just said that I had no clue how I could have gotten such an injury. After a few more basic questions about how I was feeling, Lord Elrond decided that he and his sons, as well as Lord Glorfindel, should leave me and Kari be for awhile, and headed out.  
  
"Don't fall off any chairs!" I called after the twins as they left. One of them turned and glared at me, and I grinned back.  
  
"What was that?" Kari asked once the door had been shut, looking extremely curious.  
  
"What, my parting remark?" I asked, and she nodded. "Which one of the twins was in here watching me?"  
  
"Elladan." Kari said, looking even more curious. "Though darned if I could've figured it out if Elrond hadn't ordered him to stay by name."  
  
"Yes, they do look quite alike, don't they?" I mused, then mentally shook myself and returned to Kari's question. "Anyways, Elladan was asleep in his chair when I woke up, and after discovering all sorts of strange things, like my pointed ears, I decided to wake him up and ask where I was. He was already half falling out of the chair, so I couldn't resist. I poked him in the side and he jumped awake and fell out of the chair." Kari giggled, as did I as I remembered the look on the Elf's face as he looked up at me from the floor. When we were done giggling, however, I turned serious.  
  
"Now that I've told my short tale of what I've been up to, you need to tell me what the heck Elrond was going on about Fangorn for." I said, and Kari instantly turned serious as well.  
  
"I was not as lucky as you in having time to discover where I was and my change in race before confronting any of the locals. I woke up sopping wet, with Glorfindel looking down at me. It was all I could do to keep up a credible story of who we were and where we were from. So we are now two traveling Elf-maidens that originally came from Hollin, and the last thing we remember was riding along the edges of Fangorn Forest." she said, then added warningly, "And don't you dare complain, because I had a limited amount of time to think it up, and Glorfindel staring at me the entire time."  
  
"I'm not going to complain, but I'm just wondering why you didn't tell him the truth." I said with a slight frown. I was never one for telling lies when the truth would do just as well. Kari sighed.  
  
"Do you even listen to me when I tell you about all those fanfictions about Lord of the Rings that I read?" she asked.  
  
"Not most of the time, no." I replied truthfully, and Kari thwapped me on the back of my head. "Ow." I mumbled, rubbing the back of my head.  
  
"It's common sense, anyways." Kari muttered, and then said louder, "If I'd told them, they'd either have thought we were crazy and not believed us, or tried to send us home. I, personally, like it here." I eyed her suspiciously.  
  
"Have you found an Elf to flirt with?" I asked, and Kari looked at me with mock hurt.  
  
"Your assumption wounds me deeply." she said somberly, then grinned like a maniac and answered. "Yes, Elrohir." I rolled my eyes and sighed.  
  
"Figures as much." I said.  
  
"Aren't they absolutely scrumptious, though?" Kari asked, her eyes sparkling.  
  
"I wouldn't know - I don't take bites out of strange Elves to see what they taste like." I replied dryly, and Kari hit me on the arm lightly.  
  
"You know what I mean." she said.  
  
"That I do, that I do. And for your information, when I woke I thought I was dreaming, and wondered what on earth I ever did right to dream up such a perfect specimen of manhood." I replied solemnly, and then grinned.  
  
"You should see the rest of them." Kari said, her eyes sparkling again. "I haven't seen many except when passing by them in the hall, but by the Valar! From what I've seen, those four you saw are not exceptions, they're the norm!" We looked at each other for a moment, grinning like idiots, and then squealed in unison.  
  
"So have you managed to find out what the date is?" I asked when we'd both calmed down.  
  
"Well, Aragorn isn't around, so it's at least 80 years before the War of the Ring." Kari said with a slight frown. "I haven't heard any mention of either Arwen or Celebrían, either. Somehow I don't think either of them are here."  
  
"Makes sense. Arwen spent most of her time in Lothlorien, and Celebrían is Galadriel and Celeborn's daughter. So they could both just be in Lothlorien. Or Celebrían could have gone into the west and Arwen visiting Lothlorien. Or Celebrían could be visiting her family and Arwen not even born." I said, frowning slightly, and Kari sighed and nodded.  
  
"That's what I realized." she said. "Only thing I can be certain of is that the Last Alliance has happened - Elrond's wearing whichever of the rings of power is his."  
  
"Vilya." I said absently. "And if the twins are alive, then no duh the Alliance has happened. They were born in the Third Age. We're looking at a spread of close to twenty-eight hundred years for the possible date."  
  
"Twenty-eight hundred?!" Kari asked in surprise, her mouth dropping open.  
  
"Yes, Elrohir and Elladan were born within the first 200 years of the Third Age, and Aragorn was born in the last 80 or so. Given that the Third Age lasted only 3021 years, that leaves us with around twenty-eight hundred years." I replied, and Kari blinked at me.  
  
"How the heck do you remember all that?" she asked.  
  
"Too much time spent reading the appendices of the books." I said, making a face. "Fortunately, that means if we can figure out a few more things about the outside world, I can figure out the date."  
  
"What sorts of things?" Kari asked.  
  
"Hm, if Gondor still has Kings, whether or not Rohan exists. The status of the Dwarf peoples in general. And, of course, where Arwen and Celebrían are." I replied, and Kari blinked.  
  
"Girl, you need a new hobby." she said.  
  
"Well, looks like I'll have to get one, since those particular books don't exist here." I said cheerfully. "Speaking of our world, what do you remember about what ACTUALLY happened before we showed up here?"  
  
"I remember dancing in the rain, a loud boom, and that's it." Kari said with a frown. "What do you remember?" I sighed, and then paused for a moment to organize my memories.  
  
"The loud boom you heard was a lightning strike on our house." I said finally. "I thought it killed you, to be honest. I couldn't find a pulse on your wrist. And I couldn't double check by listening to your heartbeat because the thunder strike wrecked my hearing. So I ran inside - our house was burning, by the way, the lightning was too much for our poor lightning rod, told you we should've gotten the deluxe rod - and phoned the hospital. The last thing I can remember is starting to run out of the house." Kari was silent when I finished, looking disturbed.  
  
"Penny for your thoughts?" I asked after awhile. Kari started, looking at me in surprise as if she'd just remembered I was there, and then shook her head.  
  
"Nothing important. Just wondering about life, the universe, and 42." she answered with a small smile. I knew that wasn't what she'd been thinking, but decided not to push it. Instead, I turned my mind to a more pressing need - food.  
  
"Speaking of the great mysteries of life, where's the kitchen around here?" I asked, jumping out of bed and looking around expectantly. Kari chuckled, and climbed off the bed herself.  
  
"I'll show you to it once you get changed into something more suitable." she said. I blinked, then glanced down at what I was wearing and found a long, white nightgown.  
  
"Yes, a change would be in order, wouldn't it?" I said. "What clothes are there to wear?"  
  
"Dresses." Kari said with an evil grin, and I groaned slightly. I'll confess, I'm a tomboy. I hate wearing dresses. Except for really cool ones. And, fortunately for my stomach, the dresses Lord Elrond had supplied the wardrobe in the room with when he had discovered that Kari and I had 'lost' our luggage someplace between Fangorn and Rivendell were really cool ones. So I quickly changed into one, and Kari set off for the kitchens, me close behind.  
  
----To be continued...so join us here next bat-time, on the same bat-station...----  
(If it's going to sounds corny, might as well have some fun)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
  
Chapter 3! Whoo! And what a spectacular amount of reviews...*giggle* Hee, ah well, for once I don't mind. I'm writing this story for the fun of it, and as a way to get out of doing schoolwork. Still, Elf-shaped cookies go to all my reviewers! Made by Santa's Elves, of course...which, now that I think about it, are really more like Hobbits than Elves...  
  
Chapter 4 will be coming on Saturday! And if anybody's wondering, yes, my chapters are going to be getting longer, just as they did with 'No Eyes Needed'. Most of my stories seem to do that - start off with short chapters and then end up with really forking long ones. I'm sure my reviewers don't mind, though...  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	4. Information

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Elrond: Due to temporary insanity in which she believes she rules the entire galaxy, Crimson Starlight has been relieved of her authorian duties of writing the disclaimer.  
  
Glorfindel: And due to the fact that you talk too much, you've been relieved of that duty, too.  
  
Elrond: I resent that.  
  
Glorfindel: Take it up with me when you're over 20 feet high and made out of shadow and flame.  
  
Arwen: *mumbling* Silly males. *louder* Crimson Starlight owns nothing except what Rachel and Kari do, say and think.  
  
Glorfindel: ROLE-STEALER!  
  
Arwen: Eep! *runs*  
  
Glorfindel: *runs after*  
  
Elrond: GLORFINDEL! STOP CHASING MY DAUGHTER! ...wait...GLORFINDEL! IF YOU CATCH ARWEN YOU CAN MARRY HER!  
  
Arwen and Aragorn: HEY!  
  
Glorfindel: Ewwwww...  
  
-4: Information-  
  
As it had already been late in the night, almost morning, when I woke up, after eating I decided not to go back to bed. Kari informed me when I told her that that was very nice, but she was going to go get some sleep. Apparently she'd been kept up the entire night by Lord Elrond, and then by Glorfindel, who were trying to find out what had happened to the two of us. Needless to say, they didn't get anything more then she'd told them when we first arrived. She told me she decided very early on that she wasn't going to open her mouth and tell anymore about our 'travels' until she'd had a chance to talk to me, for fear she'd make a mistake, since she knew less about Middle-Earth than me. It was actually rather odd, if you considered the fact that she was the one that seemed to be more obsessed with the whole 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy.  
  
So now I was wandering through Rivendell alone, absorbing myself in its beauty and trying to get used to the fact that I was not only here, but an Elf. It was while I was testing out my new, improved hearing that I discovered there was someone behind me on the path. Glancing back, I saw a dark haired Elf strolling along, apparently unaware of me walking ahead of him. Narrowing my eyes slightly and trying out my new eyesight, I quickly discovered that it was one of Lord Elrond's twin sons. Which, I didn't know. I probably never would have if he hadn't sped up and come to where I had stopped on the path to talk to me.  
  
"Lady Rachel." he said with a slight bow.  
  
"My lord." I said, curtseying just as slightly as he bowed. I had never curtseyed in my life, and I think it showed, but there was no comment.  
  
"What, no greeting by name?" the twin asked.  
  
"Considering I can't determine which twin you are, not greeting you by name seems a pretty safe bet." I replied dryly.  
  
"Ah, another unobservant one." the twin said, his eyes sparkling.  
  
"Hey now, I'm observant. I just haven't had any time to observe to figure out which of you is which." I retorted.  
  
"Well, I'll save you a little trouble. Elrohir is a whole lot uglier." the twin, who I now knew was Elladan, said with a grin.  
  
"Oh, that'll help, considering you're identical." I said, rolling my eyes. "It's not any easier to tell apart two ugly identical twins than two handsome identical twins." Elladan just grinned at me for a moment, and then frowned slightly as he got the veiled insult, causing me to grin.  
  
"Very good." he said grudgingly.  
  
"Thanks." I said, still grinning. "But you ain't seen nutin yet!" Elladan looked at me strangely, and it occurred to me that he might not have understood what I said. I just kept grinning. After a moment, Elladan shook his head and smiled ruefully.  
  
"So, are you enjoying Rivendell?" he asked.  
  
"It's beautiful." I replied, turning back to the scenery with a smile.  
  
"Yes, it is, though you tend to stop noticing it so much after a few hundred years." Elladan agreed from behind me. "Is it true that you have been traveling for the past four millennia?" he asked after a moment. I started slightly at the number, but quickly recovered.  
  
"Has it really been that long?" I asked slightly wistfully, to cover my start. I really didn't like continuing with the lie that Kari and I were from Eregion, but there was nothing for it.  
  
"At the least. Eregion was laid to waste in 1697 of the Second Age. It is now May of 2109 of the Third Age." Elladan replied. I almost hugged him. I had hoped to be able to approximate what the year was, at the most, but here was Elladan telling me everything but the exact day.  
  
"Then it has been just over four millennia." I said out loud, taking a random year not long before 1697 and doing some quick calculations. "Strange, it didn't seem that long."  
  
"I'm sure you have tales enough for such time spent traveling." Elladan said.  
  
"Perhaps, if I care to remember them." I replied carefully, trying to avoid having to make up any stories on the spot. I was sure I could do it, but I didn't want to have to. Fortunately, Elladan seemed to take the hint.  
  
"I do not think I've ever heard the name 'Rachel' before. Was it common in Eregion?" Elladan asked, and I inwardly winced. I had wondered when someone would pull up Kari and my's strange names. Fortunately, I was ready for it.  
  
"Rachel is just a nickname. Kari and I stayed in a human village during our travels, and the children couldn't pronounce my Elvish name, so they decided that my new name was Rachel and called me that. Kari seemed to like it, and stuck to it. Of course, in revenge, I shortened her name to just 'Kari'." I replied with a lop-sided grin.  
  
"So what is your real name?" Elladan asked with no little curiosity.  
  
"Elenlómë." I answered. "And Kari's is Alkarisil." Kari and I had made up the two Elvish names one day when a huge storm knocked the power out. Mine was supposed to mean 'Night Star' and Kari's was supposed to mean 'Splendor of the Moon'. They were based mostly on our looks; before I had been elf-ized, I'd had jet-black hair and bright, sapphire blue eyes that Kari claimed glittered like little stars in low light. Kari hadn't changed much with her elf-izing, with the exception that her hair became blonder - if that was possible - and her normally slate-grey eyes turned almost silver. Elladan seemed to accept the Elvish names, at any rate.  
  
"I can see why the children would have trouble with your name." he said with a chuckle, and I grinned back at him.  
  
"Most people can once they hear it." I replied. There was silence for a moment, during which I got distinctly bored. Scenery is nice, but only for so long and when you're alone. I prefer to do things or talk when there's someone else around. Yep, social butterfly, that's me. Anyways. I pulled on the first thing that came to mind that one could do when bored and in Middle-Earth - BESIDES find out if random important Elves are ticklish. "So, is there an archery range somewhere around here, along with some arrows and a bow I could practice with?" I asked.  
  
"You do archery?" Elladan asked in surprise.  
  
"Well, Kari and I had to defend ourselves." I said practically, then grinned impishly and added for the sake of not lying completely, "Though archery is more of a hobby to work on when I want something to do - I have trouble hitting the target, let alone the bullseye." Elladan chuckled again, and then offered me his arm.  
  
"I shall show you the archery range, then, and we shall see if we can improve that any." he said with a smile as I took his arm.  
  
"Oh, but it's so much fun being a horrible shot!" I said as we headed off.  
  
"And why is that?" Elladan asked, arching an eyebrow at me.  
  
"If you shoot someone annoying in the butt, you can just blame your horrible aim!" I replied cheerfully. Elladan's laughter didn't subside until we'd reached the archery range.  
  
----To be continued...with 40% more tap-dancing elves!----  
(Or not...*pokes Haldir* Come on, it isn't THAT bad...)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
I've decided I'm going to have fun writing Disclaimers for this story. As you can tell from the disclaimer at the top. :D Anywho, this was a short chapter, so I'll probably upload another one before the weekend is over. We'll see.  
  
And for those who might be wondering, this FanFic IS going to turn into a Glorfindel-centric one. But first we have to go through 900 years of stuff, several kingdoms, horses, and a dozen or so chapters. Look out readers, this is gonna be a long one...  
  
Ooo! And on that note, I have to thank my reviewers! Y'all rock...especially Aislin for that REALLY long review. But don't any of you worry. All the little 'mistakes' that are popping up now will be explained in a future chapter...if they're not explained, you can tell me in a review for that chapter and I'll fix it!  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	5. Lunch

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
The purple peanuts have allied with the ladybugs and are going to take over the world five days after the two days before the end of the world.  
  
Glorfindel: Translation - Crimson Starlight owns nothing.  
  
-5: Lunch-  
  
Elladan, after learning what a poor shot I really was, quickly gave up entirely on improving my archery skills. He said he couldn't figure out why I was such a horrible shot - I had perfect stance. Didn't really occur to him, I suppose, that it's because I never really try to improve my aim, and I was getting very easily distracted by all the other incredibly hot Elves that were also practicing. Kari had been right when she said that Elrond, Elrohir, Elladan and Glorfindel were the norm for looks around Rivendell. Well, to be truthful, they were all a little above the norm, but that was to be expected - after all, they're Elf Lords. They're supposed to be a little handsomer than your average every-day Elf.  
  
Anyways. Instead of practicing archery, I sat on the ground underneath a tree not far from Elladan and bugged him with questions while he practiced. The questions started out with basic things about archery, if he knew how to make arrows and did he make his own and such. Then, gradually, the questions turned away from archery and started to become about the Elvish realms in general. Elladan, to my surprise, didn't find this the least bit odd, and when I commented on it, his reply was that he expected me to have questions about the doings of my people after spending such a long time traveling away from them. With that revelation, my questions got bolder - and less important. I soon started discovering things that were mentioned nowhere in Tolkien's books - mostly because they were trivial things, but it was nice to find out something new. The questions continued for quite some time, until around lunchtime, when an annoyed looking Kari showed up at the practice field, followed by a grinning Elrohir.  
  
"Identical twins should be banned." Kari said loudly as she came to stand by the tree I was sitting under, glaring at the two twins that were now standing side by side, and impossible to tell apart if you didn't know which twin was wearing what that day. I could hear several of the practicing archers laugh lightly, and suppressed a laugh myself. Instead, I grinned.  
  
"Having trouble finding out which one is which?" I asked, and Kari nodded vigorously.  
  
"And he's such a double-talker that just when I think I've figured out which one he is, I suddenly become quite sure I'm wrong!" she exclaimed indignantly.  
  
"Just ask him if he's fallen out of any chairs recently." I replied dryly. "That should solve the problem." Several heads turned towards the twins with raised eyebrows, and Elladan coughed, shifting nervously from foot to foot. It didn't help, either, that Kari was suddenly grinning like a maniac and Elrohir himself turned to his twin with raised eyebrows. Elladan glared at me and I grinned up at him.  
  
"Too bad you're not a horrible shot, eh?" I commented, still grinning. Elladan held the glare for a few more seconds, and then burst out laughing.  
  
"I'm going to go put my bow away." He said when he calmed down, still laughing slightly as he shook his head and walked off.  
  
"So you're Elrohir." Kari said, eyeing the remaining twin.  
  
"At your service, m'Lady Kari." he said, grinning and making a mock bow.  
  
"Rach, remind me to think up plots for revenge later tonight." Kari said, glancing down at me.  
  
"Will do!" I replied cheerfully. Elrohir just grinned cheekily.  
  
"I don't think he believes I'll do anything." Kari said to me in a stage whisper after eyeing Elrohir for a few minutes.  
  
"He'll learn." I replied, seriously enough that Elrohir looked worried for a moment. But before anymore could be said, Elladan returned, and I stood up because I was feeling distinctly short and not liking it.  
  
"Now that you've put away your bow, brother, father asked me to tell you that you and the Lady Rachel are invited for lunch." Elrohir said.  
  
"Just us two?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. Elrohir chuckled.  
  
"Nay, Lady Kari and I, as well as Lord Glorfindel, shall be there." he said.  
  
"Ah, a meeting of Those We Have Met So Far." I said sagely, nodding my head. Elrohir chuckled again.  
  
"Mother will not be there?" Elladan asked with curiosity, turning to Elrohir.  
  
"She's *ahem* still tired from the journey." Elrohir said, with such an innocent look on his face that you knew he didn't believe that was the reason at all. What the real reason was that Elrohir was hinting at, I didn't care to guess, though my mind naturally supplied several reasons of it's own that were none too clean. I twitched as I pushed them out of my head, and Elladan and Elrohir looked at me strangely.  
  
"Are you alright, m'lady?" Elrohir asked, eyeing me.  
  
"Fine. I just like to twitch at random intervals." I said seriously. The twins looked at me even more strangely, as did a few nearby Elves. "What, you don't think we've been able to travel for over four millennia without going slightly crazy, do you?" I demanded, putting my hands on my hips. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kari start slightly when I mentioned how long we'd supposedly been traveling, but since everyone's attention was focused on looking at me strangely, I don't think anyone else noticed. The silence of everyone looking at me strangely stretched on for a moment, then Elladan shook his head and grinned.  
  
"We shall have to investigate this further, but for now, I believe we were invited to lunch." he said.  
  
"Mmm, lunch, good idea." Kari said. "Back the way we came?" Elrohir nodded, and Kari set off confidently, with us following. To my surprise, the twins didn't correct Kari at any point, and we arrived at what appeared to be Lord Elrond's study without getting lost. Upon knocking and entering, we found Lord Glorfindel and Elrond already there, seated across from each other at a table that barely looked large enough to hold six people, though the other chairs placed around it indicated that it was, in fact, where we would be eating. The two Elven Lords looked up as we entered and smiled welcomingly. Their expressions were creepily alike, and I had a feeling that if they didn't look so different, it would be harder to try and tell the two of them apart than Elrohir and Elladan.  
  
"I see you found them without too much trouble, Elrohir." Lord Elrond commented.  
  
"Elladan was someplace predictable for once." Elrohir replied as we approached the table. "Due, no doubt, to Lady Rachel's presence."  
  
"Hey, the archery range is an unpredictable place to find me." I countered. Lord Elrond's lips twitched, trying to smile, and he motioned for us to be seated. Elrohir and Kari went to the other side of the table and seated themselves - well, Elrohir seated himself after pulling out Kari's chair for her - while Elladan and I took the seats on the nearer side of the table. No sooner had we sat down, it seemed, then three Elves appeared carrying trays. They set the trays down on the table, and then disappeared. A few moments later, before we had much time to start any sort of conversation, the Elves returned again carrying more trays. They set these down on the table, as well, and this time didn't return. I eyed the food now on the table with interest - none of it looked familiar, but it all looked delicious.  
  
From somewhere, Elladan managed to produce plates, which were distributed around the table, and we all filled up our plates. It was eerily silent while we did so, but as we started eating, Elrohir apparently decided that now was a good time to find out what my comments about Elladan falling out of chairs were about.  
  
"So, Elladan, what's this I hear about you falling out of chairs?" Elrohir asked innocently. Elladan coughed, swallowed the food that was in his mouth, and glared at his twin.  
  
"It is nothing." he said.  
  
"It has to be SOMETHING if Lady Rachel keeps referring to it." Elrohir said practically, eating calmly. Kari and I were also eating calmly, ignoring the conversation while smiling slightly, and Lord Glorfindel and Elrond seemed to be listening curiously. Elladan had stopped eating completely and was devoting all his energy to glaring at his brother.  
  
"It is nothing." he repeated.  
  
"Very well, perhaps Lady Rachel would be so kind as to supply us with an explanation?" Elrohir said, turning his attention to me. I stopped eating when I felt the attention of everybody at the table turn to me, and adopted an innocent expression.  
  
"Elladan was asleep when I woke up, and when I poked him to wake him up, he fell off of his chair." I said, and then added with a smirk, "He was already falling off, anyways." Elladan glared at me, and I grinned back at him as Elrohir snorted with laughter. Lord Elrond and Glorfindel looked as if they were trying not to laugh, as well, though they were barely succeeding.  
  
"You were supposed to watch for her to wake, not fall asleep to be awoken by her, Elladan." Elrond scolded lightly after a moment.  
  
"Well it's not my fault she stayed asleep almost the entire night. I got tired." Elladan grumbled.  
  
"Of course I slept the entire night. What's the point in waking up in the middle of the night if there's no need?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. Elladan paused, and then shrugged.  
  
"I guess there is no point, m'Lady." he admitted.  
  
"Stop calling me Lady. I have a name, use it." I said. THAT caught the attention of all the Elven Lords at the table.  
  
"You do not wish to be addressed according to your title?" Lord Elrond asked with curiosity. I blinked, looking at him, and then turned to Kari, who shrugged.  
  
"I do not have now, nor have ever had, a title." I replied. Elrond looked at me thoughtfully, then nodded.  
  
"Very well. Rachel." he said with a smile.  
  
"And what about m'Lady Kari?" Elrohir asked, turning to Kari.  
  
"I don't officially have a title, either, but I'm not complaining at being called a Lady!" Kari replied with a grin.  
  
"Only because you wish you were one." I shot off.  
  
"Says the one who used to be mistaken for a boy when she was younger!" Kari shot back just as quickly. I flicked a grape-like fruit at Kari, which she ducked, and we mock-glared at each other for a moment, then started giggling when we noticed the slightly freaked-out looks on the other Elves faces.  
  
"So, is there any particular reason you invited us to lunch, Lord Elrond?" Kari asked when she calmed down, turned her attention to Elrond. By now, we were all mostly done eating, and before Lord Elrond could answer, the three Elves from before entered the room again and removed some of the now-empty trays. When they were gone, Lord Elrond answered.  
  
"I am curious as to how you could have been wandering over Arda for around four millennia and I have never heard of you, to tell the truth." he said. Kari and I glanced at each other across the table, then as one, shrugged.  
  
"We haven't exactly traveled to the most well-known places." I said. "We've mostly traveled in the east and far south, and stayed in the smaller towns and villages, if not the wilderness. We were more traveling to see the land than the peoples. I can honestly say that until we arrived here, we had not seen one of our own kind besides each other for over a millennium."  
  
"Such separation from your own people must have been hard." Lord Glorfindel said with a frown. I shrugged.  
  
"We hardly noticed. We were traveling with each other and enjoying ourselves. We weren't exactly lonely." I replied.  
  
"You must have entered some towns to discover what was going on with the world, at least." Glorfindel said skeptically.  
  
"Of course. Not all our provisions could be found in the wilderness, after all." I replied.  
  
"Quite often none of them could be, in fact." Kari said dryly, and I nodded, smiling slightly.  
  
"We learned of some of the major events in the world, but on the whole, we did not seek out news. All the news we received had very little effect on us, anyways." I finished, and Elrond arched an eyebrow at me.  
  
"I find it hard to believe that news of Sauron's attempt to conquer Arda would affect you little." he commented. I hesitated, glancing at Kari. She shrugged slightly, telling me it was up to me to answer that one.  
  
"When one lives mostly in the wilderness, m'Lord, who that wilderness belongs to does not trouble one overly much." I said carefully.  
  
"I would think it would matter somewhat in the case of Sauron, since the land would become blackened and desolate under his rule." Elrond said with a light frown. I shifted uncomfortably, looking to Kari for help. Kari sighed.  
  
"It mattered not, Lord Elrond, for we had no fear that Sauron would be ruling Arda anytime soon." she said. All the elves eyebrows shot up at that.  
  
"Even the leaders of the Last Alliance, at the base of Orodruin, feared that Sauron would yet rule Arda. Why did you not?" Glorfindel asked with interest. Kari looked at me pointedly, as if saying 'see what happens when you make me talk?'  
  
"Let us just say we're optimistic to a fault and leave it at that." I said flatly. The Elves, especially Lord Elrond and Glorfindel, looked as if they would like to continue on that topic, but thankfully, didn't.  
  
"So you must have some interesting stories from your travels." Elladan tried for the second time that day. "Especially if you stayed in a human village long enough for the local children to give you a new name." That got surprised looks from everyone at the table, though Kari quickly hid it.  
  
"Rachel is not your true name?" Elrohir asked with curiosity. I shook my head and explained to them all what I'd told Elladan earlier that morning about staying in a human village and being given a nickname, and then shortening Kari's name in revenge when she started calling me the nickname.  
  
"Elenlómë." Elrond said with a light frown. "Night Star. That is a strange name." I shrugged.  
  
"I truly don't know what possessed my parents to call me it." I said. "And I can't really go and ask them now."  
  
"Oh? Have they sailed to Valinor?" Glorfindel asked with interest. I considered using that excuse for an instant, but quickly realized it could present problems later and shook my head with barely a visible pause.  
  
"No, unfortunately. I received a message not long after Eregion was laid to waste that they had died there. Kari's parents, as well. It's one of the reasons we remained traveling instead of returning to one of the Elven realms for safety when Sauron's forces became more plentiful. We had no family to return to, and thus, didn't see the point." I replied softly, smiling sadly. Kari caught on and adopted a sad, far-away look, as if remembering her parents. I had no doubt she was probably thinking of how there was no chocolate or fanfiction in Middle-Earth or something, but it did the trick. The four Elven Lords murmured various forms of sympathy, and the subject was dropped.  
  
We finished what little food there was left for lunch rather quickly, and after the three mysterious Elves had come and taken away all evidence that we had just had lunch there, Lord Glorfindel got up and politely excused himself. Kari and I, after a bit of idle conversation about Rivendell and it's sights - and a promise to be found horses to ride - excused ourselves as well, leaving Elrond and his twin sons to talk.  
  
"I'll bet you anything Lord Elrond's asking them what they think of us." Kari said once we were out of hearing range of Elrond's study.  
  
"And I'll bet you anything else the answer includes the words 'slightly crazy'." I replied with a grin.  
  
"I'm sure." Kari replied, also grinning. "By the way, good work with the story about our names."  
  
"Well, Elladan was asking about our names. I remembered that it took me about a month to learn how to pronounce that Elvish name of mine, so I just went from there." I said, then made a face and added, "But if I have to make up anymore stories off the top of my head, I think I'm going to have a major headache tomorrow."  
  
"Well, let's just avoid the inquisitive Lords of Rivendell until supper, then!" Kari said cheerfully. "Up for a hike to investigate the sights of Rivendell and see if they were telling us the truth about all that stuff?"  
  
"Lead on!" I said. "In the mean time, Elladan has told me down to the month what the date is, so I'm going to start rambling off to you what all has happened, and what's yet to happen, so you don't reveal anything you shouldn't." So, cheerfully, we set off down one of the more unused paths in Rivendell, with me reciting all the things that had and had not happened yet in Middle-Earth. Sometimes I really scare myself.  
  
----To be continued after these messages!----  
(Please note that messages do not exist, unless you count FF.N's pop-up ads...)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Oh, I am having far too much fun with this FanFic. *amused smile* Really. This is the most fun I've had in a long time writing a FanFic. But now I need to go mess with a chapter I just wrote, because I just realized that I forgot to make Elladan and Elrohir hard to tell apart...*bops self*  
  
Once again, thanks to all my lovely reviewers. You're all munderful, and I appreciate all of your comments! Now I'm off to edit, read, and write.  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	6. Walking

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Crimson Starlight: For this chapter's disclaimer, we are handing things over to TFGWRW...  
  
TFGWRW (aka, the Funky Glowing Water-Resitant Watch): Crimson Starlight owns nothing, except me, and the characters of Kari and Rachel. That includes her not owning 'Jesus' Brother Bob' by the Arrogant Worms, or the 'Spiderman' TV theme song.  
  
Glorfindel: ...your watch is talking...  
  
Crimson Starlight: I know. You have a problem with that?  
  
Glorfindel: No, not at all... [shifty eyes]  
  
Elrond: I find it odd that you named it, personally...  
  
-6: Walking-  
  
"So Rohan doesn't exist yet?!" Kari exclaimed in surprise, and I nodded.  
  
"Rohan was a young kingdom when the War of the Ring happened - not even one thousand years old. It won't be formed now until after the Watchful Peaces ends - the same year Celebrían departs, in fact." I replied. "Another, um, 401 years."  
  
"So no sexy horse lords?" Kari asked with a pout, and I chuckled.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure they're around somewhere. They had to come from somewhere, right?" I said. "But I could never get the founding of all those silly kingdoms sorted out in my head, so I have no idea where they are right now."  
  
"So what about Gondor? You haven't said anything about them." Kari replied.  
  
"Well, see, that's the thing. Gondor was really huge before the Last Alliance, and then it slowly disintegrated as time went on." I said thoughtfully. "It's the one thing that always confused me - when Gondor actually lost its Kings. But as far as I can figure, Gondor proper still has its Kings, and will until the 2800's. However, the Dúnedain - the Rangers - are out there frolicking through the wilderness."  
  
"So Gondor still has Kings, Rohan doesn't exist, the Dwarves are still under the mountain...is ANYTHING the same as it was during the Lord of the Rings?!" Kari asked in exasperation.  
  
"Eh, the Shire's probably still the same...Oh wait. There won't be a Buckland for another, uh, 200 and some years." I replied. "And as a side note to that, there's another 300-some years until Sméagol finds the One Ring. So if we want to go for a little trip, we could probably find his people before they disappeared."  
  
"Erg, no thanks." Kari said, looking uncomfortable. "I'd prefer to continue disliking Gollum. If I see his people, I'll probably start feeling sorry for him. And then when we go see 'Return of the King', I'll feel like pelting the people who cheer when he dies with soggy popcorn." I laughed, and then frowned as Kari's words sunk in.  
  
"So you think we'll be able to get home?" I asked.  
  
"Well we damn well better. I wanna see 'Return of the King'!" Kari replied.  
  
"You know, since we're Elves, we could just hang around here and see it all first-hand." I pointed out.  
  
"Yes yes, but it's not the same!" Kari said, sounding slightly annoyed. "When you're watching a movie, you get to see all sorts of personal conversations that you wouldn't be able to see in real life, and you can see what's going on with the bad guys and yada yada yada! In real life, you don't get any of that!" I was silent for a moment, wondering how best to tell Kari my next point.  
  
"You do realize that since you've told them all we're from Eregion, we're going to have to find our own way home without any help." I finally said, deciding on the harsh-but-true method. Kari abruptly stopped walking.  
  
"CRAP." she exclaimed, then sighed and started walking again. "Guess I brought that on us."  
  
"We could just tell them the truth now and ask for help." I suggested.  
  
"Right, that would endear us to them a whole lot. 'What? You mean everything that you've told us so far is a lie? And now you want us to help you get home? Sure, no problem!'" Kari snorted lightly, and then continued, "I don't think so, Rach."  
  
"We could tell them that we lied because we didn't think they'd believe us." I replied.  
  
"They could very well still not believe us if we told the truth. And then we'd be labeled as madwomen and probably cast out of Elvish society if not killed. Who knows what they do to the insane?" Kari replied.  
  
"Probably try and heal them." I said dryly. "But if you're set against not telling them, I'll keep my mouth shut. Though I'm beginning to think you don't really want to go home, for all your proclaimed wanting to see 'Return of the King'."  
  
"Oh be quiet." Kari replied. "I DO want to go home. Middle-Earth is nice, but I already miss TV and the radio." I was silent for a moment, then a thought struck me and I grinned momentarily before starting singing.  
  
"Spiderman, Spiderman,  
Does whatever a spider can  
Spins a web, any size,  
Catches thieves just like flies  
Look Out!  
Here comes the Spiderman."   
  
Kari was laughing by the time I finished, and I had to stop singing to giggle at myself. I could be a good singer - when I tried. I hadn't been particularly trying, however, so it had actually been a rather horrible rendition of the first verse of the Spiderman theme song. After awhile, we calmed down, and then Kari started singing.  
  
"Jesus' brother Bob, Jesus' brother Bob  
A nobody relative of the son of God  
If only I'd been born just a little sooner  
I'd be more than the brother of God junior!"  
  
I'd started laughing while she was singing, but calmed down as she finished the chorus, and we both started the song again from the beginning.  
  
"If you haven't heard of me I wouldn't be surprised  
I bet you know my relatives their names will never die  
My mother is a saint and my brother is a God  
But all I am is Jesus' brother Bob!"   
  
We finished singing 'Jesus' Brother Bob' and then went on to 'Everybody (Backstreet's Back)' for some odd reason. From there, it just deteriorated to more humorous or hilariously bad songs, including such favorites as 'I Am Cow' by the Arrogant Worms, Weird Ali Yankivich's version of 'Pretty Fly', or whatever that song is called, and 'Digital Get Down' by *N Sync. By the time we couldn't sing anymore from laughter, we had long since stopped walking and were leaning up against trees for support. Eventually, we calmed down, and both flopped down next to the path and stared up at the sky.  
  
"Preeeeetty Middle-Earth sky." Kari commented.  
  
"Preeeeetty blue." I replied. "I didn't know a sky could get so blue."  
  
"Yeah. Ooo, look, Frodo-shaped cloud!" Kari said, pointing. I squinted as I looked at the cloud she was pointing at.  
  
"You sure it's Frodo-shaped?" I asked, honestly not able to see how any cloud could be Frodo-or any hobbit-shaped.  
  
"Well, it could be just hobbit-shaped." Kari conceded.  
  
"Rabbit cloud." I said after a moment, pointing.  
  
"But it doesn't have any bunny ears! How can it be a rabbit cloud?" Kari asked.  
  
"You don't need the stereotypical rabbit ears to be a rabbit! Ears do not make the rabbit! Otherwise, all the old TV's that have rabbit ears would be rabbits! But they're not!" I replied defensively. "It's one of those rabbits with floppy ears. Lops, I think they're called..."  
  
"I don't think that's what they're called." Kari said, making a face.  
  
"What what are called?" a voice asked, and Kari and I sprang into a sitting position. One of the twins stood there grinning at us.  
  
"Bunnies with floppy ears." Kari replied, getting over her surprise.  
  
"You mean Lops?" the twin replied.  
  
"HA! I was right!" I said triumphantly.  
  
"Well, it's not MY fault they have such a weird name that even when you get it right you don't think it is!" Kari retorted.  
  
"Yes it is!" I replied. Kari and the twin blinked at me, and I smirked.  
  
"How is it my fault?" Kari asked after a moment.  
  
"It...just is." I said, looking from side to side with shifty eyes.  
  
"Aha! So it's not my fault!" Kari insisted.  
  
"It is as long as I say it is!" I shot back.  
  
"I'm starting to become surprised that you two could stand each other for four millennia." the twin said dryly.  
  
"We stopped being surprised a looooong time ago." I said with a grin. "Now, which twin are you?"  
  
"Guess!" he replied cheerfully.  
  
"Elrohir." Kari said flatly, and the twin and I blinked at her in surprise. "What? Elladan would tell us so we didn't bring up the falling-off-the-chair incident!" Elrohir laughed.  
  
"To true!" he said.  
  
"So what are you doing...here?" I asked, not having any clue where we were.  
  
"Were you stalking us?" Kari asked suspiciously, and Elrohir chuckled again.  
  
"No, though that is a good idea." he said with an impish grin in Kari's direction. She smiled back, and I faked gagging.  
  
"Blerg! Answer the question and stop flirting!" I said, making a face, and both Elrohir and Kari laughed.  
  
"Well, Elladan and I were going to find you horses to ride. Except we couldn't find you and nobody knew where you were." Elrohir said. "So, we put our tracking skills to good use!"  
  
"We?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Uhm, well, Elladan WAS with me..." Elrohir said, glancing back down the path.  
  
"Did you tie him naked to a tree?" I asked suspiciously, and Elrohir looked at me for a moment before bursting out laughing.  
  
"No, I did that last week." Elrohir said seriously once he calmed down. I chuckled.  
  
"Figures. So where is he, then?" I asked.  
  
"Well, we found this ravine, and got in an argument about whether or not we could jump over it, and he decided to just jump it and show that he could. But, uh, he couldn't." Elrohir replied sheepishly.  
  
"And you just left him there?" Kari asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, the ravine is rather deep, and I don't have any rope with me..." Elrohir said, shifting from foot to foot.  
  
"So you just chose to leave him there and continue on your merry way to find us?" I asked, and Elrohir nodded.  
  
"My, what a lovely twin." Kari commented dryly. Elrohir completely missed the sarcasm and took the statement as a compliment, grinning at Kari. Kari grinned back, and I sighed.  
  
"Oh yes, SOMEBODY'S enjoying it here." I said pointedly, looking at Kari. Neither Kari nor Elrohir made any sign of having heard. With another sigh, I went over to Kari and poked her in the side, causing her to jump away with a yelp.  
  
"Yep, still ticklish." I said with a smirk.  
  
"Nof air." Kari said with a pout.  
  
"Nof air?" Elrohir asked in confusion.  
  
"Mangled form of 'no fair'." I replied. Elrohir just looked at Kari and me strangely. We grinned back. Then, before Kari and Elrohir could zone out at each other again, I grabbed Kari's arm and headed off down the path.  
  
"C'mon, let's go laugh at Elladan." I said.  
  
"To the ravine!" Kari said commandingly, holding an arm in the air like she was holding a sword and was in charge of a battalion or something. Both of us dissolved into laughter while Elrohir just shook his head and lead the way down the hill.  
  
----To be continued...with 20% more mischief!----  
(Because mischief is always good, especially combined with purple...)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
  
I know I said I didn't really mind not getting that many reviews, but this is slightly ridiculous...13 reviews for my 5 chapters so far? *arches an eyebrow* Maybe I'm just on review withdrawl. But come on, people, review if you're reading this! (and don't tell me only two people are reading this story...that goes against the laws of probability and likelihood)  
  
*ahem* Yeah, anyways, now I'm off to...do something. Probably make a Seanchan sprite. Why? Because I'm bored and want to. (and for those of you that are wondering what a Seanchan is, look up The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan)  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	7. Setup REVISED

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Zzzzz...*mumble*...zzzzzz...  
  
Glorfindel: *prods Crimson Starlight* Wake up.  
  
CS: *mumble* no, mommy, its Saturday...zzzz...  
  
Elrond: *whacks Crimson Starlight with a sword* WAKE UP!  
  
CS: *sitting bolt upright* AAAAH! DON'T BURN THE ELF RANCH!  
  
Elrond and Glorfindel: ...  
  
CS: Uh, what's going on...*looks around* Oh, disclaimer, right...I own nothing. Except Rachel and Kari and that Elf Ranch...  
  
Glorfindel: I think that Elf Ranch was a dream.  
  
CS: Oh. Damn.  
  
Elrond: I sincerely HOPE that Elf Ranch was a dream...  
  
-7: Setup-  
  
After rescuing Elladan from the ravine - which happened to have had a crazy squirrel that liked shiny Elf hair in it - we all came back to Rivendell, only to find that we had just missed supper. Lord Elrond had wanted to see his sons (yet again), so they went off to have a late dinner with him. Kari and I were left to find someone to show us to our new rooms - mine had been moved since I was no longer sick and didn't need a sick room, and Kari's had also been moved, since she had been staying in a hastily prepared guest room while another room was prepared for her. Our rooms, to our delight, were basically two bedrooms off of a joint sitting room. Which meant that it was basically a two-bedroom apartment, only sans a kitchen unit.  
  
Also to our delight, we discovered that we had our own private bathing room, and our wardrobes were filled with dresses supplied by Lord Elrond. I still wished I had some trousers and a tunic, though. Dresses were nice, but I preferred pants. After voicing that comment to Kari, I asked her where our clothes from home were, and she explained to me that she'd woken up in a dress, and had no clue if we'd even arrived in Middle-Earth in 'normal' clothes.  
  
Once we were done snooping around our rooms, we had our supper brought to us there, and ate in silence for the most part, looking around with wide eyes, taking everything in.  
  
"So what are we going to do to Elrohir?" Kari asked, finally tearing her eyes away from the room as we finished eating.  
  
"Hm?" I asked, looking up at her.  
  
"He led me on forever about which twin he was, remember? We need to do something to him." Kari reminded me.  
  
"I'm surprised you want to do anything to him." I replied with a teasing grin.  
  
"Oh, I want to do something to him, alright. I also want to play a prank on him, though." Kari deadpanned. I shook my head and chuckled.  
  
"I honestly don't think we'll be able to do much to him unless we get the help of Elladan." I said.  
  
"I think he'll be up for getting his brother back after having been trapped in a ravine for around an hour with a crazy squirrel." Kari said dryly. "But what should we do?"  
  
"Well, we could steal all his clothes while he slept and leave him only dresses to wear." I said brightly.  
  
"Hee, amusing thought and mental image, but no, wouldn't work. Need to do that to both twins, otherwise the one would just steal the others clothes." Kari replied.  
  
"Damn identical twins, ruining everything." I muttered, and then said, louder, "If we could find some paper, a quill or something and something sticky, we could make some sort of sign and stick it to his back."  
  
"Eh, too childish." Kari said dismissively.  
  
"We could strip him naked and tie him to a tree then!" I said, rolling my eyes.  
  
"Ooo, that WOULD be fun, but he just did it, so it's not really creative." Kari replied.  
  
"Y'know, it's too bad Elrohir is brown haired. It would be so easy if he was blonde...just slip some dye in his shampoo and warn Elladan not to use it. Voila!" I said.  
  
"Well, this way we have to be creative!" Kari said cheerfully.  
  
"Agh, I used up all my creativity talking to Elrond at lunch." I complained.  
  
"Well then maybe you can ask Elladan for ideas." Kari replied.  
  
"Why me? Why not you? You're the one that wants to pull the prank on Elrohir." I said.  
  
"Yeah, but you know him better, since you were hanging out with him all day." Kari said. "And I still can't tell them apart."  
  
"Neither can I!" I protested. "And it wasn't all day, it was only the morning."  
  
"You still know him better than me! Why are you refusing to talk to him? Do you liiiiiike him?" Kari asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"I think your projecting your own feelings onto me and confusing the twins." I retorted. "But fine, I'll ask him for ideas. Tomorrow."  
  
"Aw, why not tonight?" Kari asked with a pout.  
  
"Because I have no frigging clue where he is and don't particularly want to get lost." I replied.  
  
"Oh, you won't get lost. It's easy to get around in Rivendell." Kari said dismissively.  
  
"For you!" I replied with a pout.  
  
"You just need to pay attention while you're walking." Kari said. "Now go find Elladan!"  
  
"Blerg, some friend you are." I said, sticking my tongue out at Kari as I got up and walked to the door. I opened it, and found myself staring at someone's neck. Squinting, I looked up and found one of the twins staring down at me in mild surprise, hand poised to knock on the door. Getting over his surprise, he arched an eyebrow at me, and I arched an eyebrow back.  
  
"Which one are you and how long have you been standing here?" I asked.  
  
"Elladan, and I just arrived." he answered.  
  
"Hey Kari, I found Elladan! He was behind door number one!" I called over my shoulder, then grabbed Elladan by the arm and pulled him into the room before shutting the door behind him. "C'mon, we wanna talk to you." Elladan just blinked in surprise and followed me back to where Kari was sitting.  
  
"That was convenient." Kari commented.  
  
"Indeed." I replied, then turned to Elladan and asked, "How's the scalp? Feeling less sore?"  
  
"Much less." Elladan said with a light grimace. "Though I am still going to get my dear brother back for leaving me in that ravine."  
  
"Ooo, wonderful. Can we help?" Kari asked. "Or better yet, can we get him back together?"  
  
"What do you want to get him back for?" Elladan asked, eyeing her suspiciously.  
  
"He kept me guessing for several hours as to which one of you he was." Kari replied with a pout, and Elladan chuckled.  
  
"Well, I was coming here to get your help, anyways." Elladan said. "So work together we shall!"  
  
"Get our help?" I asked with curiosity.  
  
"Yes, I had a rather good idea for a prank, but my brother knows me too well -"  
  
"In other words, he doesn't trust you." Kari interrupted dryly, and Elladan grinned at her before continuing.  
  
"As I said, my brother knows me too well, so I was going to see if I could talk one of you two into luring him into the appropriate spot." Elladan said.  
  
"Appropriate spot?" I asked. "To do what?"  
  
"You shall see if you help me." Elladan said, getting an evil glint in his eyes. Kari and I eyed him for a moment, then looked at each other and shrugged.  
  
"As long as it's not something deadly or incredibly disgusting, fine." I said.  
  
"Right, shall we go get ready?" Elladan asked.  
  
"What, you're going to do it tonight?" I asked incredulously, and Elladan looked at me with a 'well, duh!' expression. I sighed. "Why do I even bother? Lead the way!" Elladan grinned, then set off out of our room and down corridors, us following behind him. Finally, we stopped in front of a door. Elladan motioned for us to stay still, and then slipped inside. A few moments later, he returned and motioned for us to follow again. Once we were a good distance away from the room, Elladan spoke.  
  
"That was Elrohir's room. I needed to check and make sure he was there and asleep still." Elladan said.  
  
"And was he?" I asked, arching an eyebrow, and Elladan nodded.  
  
"He was, fast asleep." he said. "I hope you are memorizing where we are going. We are going to where I wish Elladan to be brought now."  
  
"I've got it." Kari said without hesitation.  
  
"I don't." I said needlessly. Elladan looked at me strangely, and I shrugged. "Just making sure you knew."  
  
"Indeed." Elladan replied. After a short walk, we left the house and came into a garden.  
  
"Ah, gardens. Always a fun place to play pranks." Kari said appreciatively.  
  
"Yes, and hardly anyone ever uses this one, though it is surrounded by bedrooms." Elladan said.  
  
"So there's little chance of being interrupted before and during the prank, but Elrohir's girly screams of rage will bring a bunch of Elves roused from sleep running?" I asked. Elladan nodded, grinning slightly at how I put it, and I grinned maniacally. "Ooo, I like this."  
  
"I thought you might." Elladan said, his slight grin growing into a full-fledged mischievous one. "Anyways. Kari, you need to lead Elrohir in here and underneath the branches on this side of that big tree. Then you need to get out of the way."  
  
"Oh? What's going to come falling down?" Kari asked.  
  
"You will see." Elladan said with the evil glint in his eyes again.  
  
"What about me?" I asked.  
  
"You shall help me in the tree!" Elladan replied cheerfully. I paused, and then glanced down at my dress.  
  
"Only if you lend me some trousers and a tunic." I said, looking back up at Elladan. "I don't want to risk climbing a tree in a dress."  
  
"Very well." Elladan said with a shrug. "It will give Kari time to wake up Elrohir and convince him to go for a walk with her!"  
  
"I have to wake him up?!" Kari exclaimed, and Elladan nodded. "But...but..."  
  
"Oh come on, I'm sure you'll enjoy it." I said with a snort, and Kari glared at me.  
  
"Fine." she said after a moment, pretending to sulk.  
  
"Shall we go, then?" Elladan asked, and Kari and I nodded. Elladan set off back the way we had come, with Kari and me following. This time, when we reached Elrohir's door, Elladan motioned for Kari to stay put, then went into the door across the hall, beckoning for me to follow. I did, and upon entering found a room that was actually rather messy, considering that this was Rivendell. It was a heck of a lot cleaner then my room back home, though.  
  
"Let me guess - your room?" I asked Elladan, arching an eyebrow. He flashed me a wry smile, and then resumed his digging through what looked like a pile of cloth. Eventually, he pulled out two pieces of cloth that, upon further inspection, turned out to be trousers and a tunic.  
  
"Do you want to go back to your room to change?" Elladan asked, adding a belt that was hanging off of one of the chairs to the tunic and trousers draped across his arm.  
  
"That's your bedroom?" I asked, pointing to the only door in the room other than the one we'd entered from. Elladan nodded. "I'll change in there." I said. Elladan looked slightly surprised, but then handed me the clothes and sat down while I disappeared into his bedroom. The bedroom, to my amusement, was even messier than the main room. I shook my head, holding back laughter, knowing Elladan would hear it, and quickly changed into the borrowed tunic and trousers. The belt, having no buckle, was slightly confusing to me at first, until I remembered the way I'd seen Elladan's belt tied, and then, with a minimum number of guesses, I got it tied on right. Then, grabbing my dress, I went back into the main room.  
  
"What should I do with this?" I asked, holding up my dress.  
  
"Put it somewhere. You can pick it up and change when we're done. Or, if father catches us, you can pick it up tomorrow...or whenever we're let out of our rooms." Elladan replied, standing. I looked at him suspiciously as he said the last part.  
  
"What exactly are we going to DO to Elrohir?" I asked, suddenly concerned.  
  
"Just dump a few things on him." Elladan replied with a shrug.  
  
"What things?" I asked.  
  
"You'll see." Elladan replied, moving towards the door.  
  
"What things, Elladan?" I asked, this time putting weight on the question so that he knew I would not accept anything but a full answer.  
  
"Um, some dye." Elladan replied.  
  
"And?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Some dye fixant." Elladan replied, trying to sound innocent.  
  
"So we're going to dye his clothes?" I asked, raising both my eyebrow this time.  
  
"His skin, actually." Elladan said.  
  
"What colour?"  
  
"Purple."  
  
"Eeeeexcellent!" I said, grinning.  
  
"Now shall we go?" Elladan said, motioning towards the door. I nodded, and followed him out.  
  
"Took you long enough." Kari said quietly when we emerged.  
  
"Sorry, was getting details out of him." I replied just as quietly.  
  
"And?" she asked.  
  
"All I'm going to say is...purple." I replied with a grin.  
  
"Ooo, anything with purple involved is bound to be good." Kari said, also grinning, and I nodded.  
  
"Now let's get going." I said. Kari nodded, and slipped into Elrohir's room. The instant the door shut, Elladan and I took off for the garden. Upon reaching it, I was given a quick lesson on how to climb a tree. Up in the tree, I found two full pails - both smelling rather funny - waiting, perched on thick branches and supported against the trunk. Elladan motioned for me to go to stay with the one closest, and then he went to the other one.  
  
"I will dump first, then you dump immediately after." Elladan whispered, and I nodded. Then we waited.  
  
----To be continued...with 25% more half-naked male elves!----  
(What, you don't think they sleep in their clothes, do you? That would wrinkle them and ruin the 'perfect elf' image...)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Sorry the tap dancing elves couldn't make it, but Haldir decided to see how well sharp pointy metallic objects work on authors...(very well) So, no tap dancing elves. I'll have to see if I can get them to do the macarena, instead...  
  
Thank you to everyone who has read this chapter, now upgrade your status and review! Because then you can become a reviewer! Which is better then a reader! It's raining outside!  
  
...  
  
Sorry, I'm tired and easily dis - ooo, shiny object...  
  
~Crimson Starlight  
  
-Revision's Author's Note:-  
Took out some stuff that was un-Tolkien-canon. Nothing important...  
  
~CS 


	8. Mush REVISED

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS (from under a pile of VERY WARM blankets): Mmmwnnthn!  
  
Penguin (appearing suddenly and speaking in a squeaky voice): Crimson Starlight owns nothing.  
  
Glorfindel: (prods the penguin) It speaks.  
  
CS (pokes her head out from under the blankets): Course it does. All Canadian penguins do. (dives back under the blankets)  
  
-8: Mush-  
  
Kari looked around nervously after entering Elrohir's room - she felt a little out of place, entering the room without being invited and while he was asleep. If Elladan hadn't been the one to tell her to do it, she would have thought the Elves would have been scandalized, too. But then, they could still be if they found out - you never know what brothers will do to each other.  
  
Shaking her head, Kari dismissed her doubts and concentrated on making her way through the dark room to the bedroom door, which was actually fairly easy with her new, improved Elvish eyesight. Once there, despite Elladan's reassurance's, Kari slowly opened the bedroom door and peaked in, ready to dash off if she found Elrohir staring back at her. He was, however, fast asleep on the bed. Or at least, she assumed he was fast asleep - it was hard to tell with Elvish sleep. Herself, she preferred sleeping with her eyes closed, though now that she was an Elf, she couldn't seem to get comfortable enough to sleep when her eyes were closed.  
  
Kari shook her head again to clear her thoughts, scolding herself for getting so easily distracted. Then she carefully pushed the door open the rest of the way and tiptoed towards Elrohir's bed. About halfway there, she started wondering why she was being so quiet - she was trying to wake him up, after all. Rolling her eyes at herself, she started walking normally, though she noticed that, as per usual since she woke up in Middle-Earth, her feet were making no sound.  
  
Reaching the side of Elrohir's bed, she looked down at him, wondering how best to wake him up. She had several ways she'd LIKE to wake him up...but she wasn't sure if he'd appreciate them. And then there were the ways she COULD wake him up...but she was already leading him to have a prank played on him, so that would just be overkill. She didn't want to startle him awake, either, as who knew what type of weapons he had hidden within his reach and how fast he would be able to grab them and aim them in her direction? Finally, Kari settled on leaning over the bed, staring at him, and calling his name.  
  
"Elroooohiiiiiiiiir!" she called. With satisfaction, she saw his eyes slowly uncloud and focus. He looked rather surprised to see her, and even more surprised when he realized the room was still dark.  
  
"Kari, what are you doing here?" he asked, sitting up, exposing his completely covering-less chest. Kari had to fight hard to keep her eyes on his face - and thereby retain her capacity for thought - instead of just staring at his ohsoveryfine chest and drooling.  
  
"I'm bored." Kari replied, using the first excuse she could think of as she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. Elrohir arched an eyebrow at her, in a creepy imitation of his father.  
  
"And you decided to wake me up?" he asked.  
  
"Well, I can't find Elladan or Rachel, and you're, like, the only other Elf I know here. Or have even met, really, except for Lord Glorfindel and Lord Elrond, but I don't think they'd appreciate me waking them up in the middle of the night because I'm bored." Kari replied.  
  
"Father could very well NOT be asleep, but we shall not get into that." Elrohir said with a smirk. "What makes you think *I* will appreciate being woken up in the middle of the night because you are bored?" Kari shrugged, trying to keep her attention on the conversation rather than the image of a smirking, innuendo-making, half (possibly completely) naked and still-in-bed Elrohir.  
  
"Nothing, really. But I figured it was good payback for when you kept me guessing this morning." she said, and Elrohir sighed.  
  
"And here I thought you might actually do something good to get back at me." he said, sounding almost disappointed.  
  
"What, waking you up from a sound sleep and refusing to let you go back to sleep until I'm not bored anymore isn't something good?" Kari demanded, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
"I do not think I will answer that, for fear of my health." Elrohir said dryly, and Kari smirked at him. "Very well, if you shall go wait in the sitting room, I shall get dressed and be out in a moment." Kari nodded happily, then - literally - bounced out to the sitting room, concentrating on her bouncing so she wouldn't pout at the thought of having to let Elrohir put on a shirt instead of just sitting in his room and staring at him all night. Elrohir shook his head as he watched her go, amusement showing clearly on his face.  
  
A few minutes later, Elrohir emerged into the sitting room, fully dressed. Kari bounced up from the chair she had been sitting in and smiled at him. He smiled back, and for a moment, both were lost in just looking at each other. The only light in the room was the faint light of the stars, which was mostly shining through the window Kari was standing in front of. The starlight wasshining across Kari's figure, and Elrohir suddenly completely forgot that she had woken him from a rather nice dream. Kari, for her part, was still remembering smirking, innuendo-making, half-nekkid and still-in-bed Elrohir, and trying desperately to push it out of her head so that she could...ooo, Elrohir was smiling at her...what was she supposed to do again?  
  
Blinking, Kari suddenly shook her head and walked over to Elrohir. The movement out of the starlight broke the spell for Elrohir, and he cleared his throat lightly and offered her his arm when she stopped in front of him. She took it, and both of them tried to ignore the shiver that shot through them at the contact.  
  
"So, what did you have in mind to do, oh bored one?" Elrohir asked cheerfully, trying to dismiss the image of Kari standing in the starlight from his mind.  
  
"Walks are always unboring. Especially when you have someone to talk to!" Kari said cheerfully.  
  
"A walk it is!" Elrohir said, and they set off. Elrohir initially directed where they were walking, but Kari quickly took over, distracting him from where they were going by telling Elrohir every joke she'd ever heard - modified for Middle-Earth, of course - and a few riddles. Then Elrohir started telling stories of pranks he and Elladan had pulled, and all to soon, Kari saw the entrance to the garden where Elladan and Rachel were waiting.  
  
Laughing at Elrohir's latest story - that of he and Elladan sending messages to their father in the Black Speech of Mordor and the subsequent consequences, since they were not supposed to even KNOW the Black Speech - Kari considered walking right by the garden. It had seemed the time for a prank when this whole thing had started, but then she'd started talking to Elrohir...and somehow, she didn't feel like playing a prank on him anymore. Decided, she walked by the entrance to the garden, hoping Rachel would be kind and that Elladan wasn't TOO vengeful.  
  
Kari decided that risking Rachel and Elladan's wrath was worth it, however, as when she and Elrohir finally found their way out of the house and into the garden's, they left jokes, riddles, and stories of pranks behind and started talking about the stars. Kari had always found the stars enchanting, and when Elrohir led her to a grassy hill where they could lie down and look at the stars, Kari was more than happy to do so. They lay and watched the stars, Elrohir occasionally pointing out a star or two. Kari would have loved for him to tell her all about all the stars, but she remembered that, sadly, she was supposed to be an Elf from Hollin and already know all about the stars. So instead she just listened to the little bits he told her, watching the sky and feeling content with her life.  
  
Moments after she decided this was heaven - or at least pretty damn close - a large amount of liquid was suddenly splashed over her and Elrohir. A few seconds later, before she could even sit up, another large amount of liquid was splashed over her and Elrohir. Spluttering, she sat up to find a smirking Elladan and Rachel standing in front of her and Elrohir, two large pails - now empty - sitting beside them on the grass.  
  
"Have fun being purple." Rachel said, then she and Elladan turned and took off like the wind. Kari blinked, and then groaned, turning to Elrohir. That promptly made her start laughing, as Elrohir was sitting there looking stunned - and very purple. As he slowly came to his senses, he looked over at Kari, and then started laughing as well.  
  
"Somehow I should have known they wouldn't let me get away with pulling out." Kari said when she calmed down, flopping back onto the grass. Elrohir looking over at her, an inquiring look on his face.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked.  
  
"Well, I was originally going to take you for a walk to a certain spot under a certain tree, and then move out of the way as only YOU got dyed purple. But I was having too much fun, so I bypassed the garden. And now we're both purple." Kari replied.  
  
"You were going to help turn me purple?" Elrohir asked with a slight pout.  
  
"Were. Past tense." Kari replied. "And I actually didn't know what was going to happen - Elladan and Rachel wouldn't tell me."  
  
"Sounds like Elladan." Elrohir said with a snort. "I think I'm going to have to tie him naked to a tree again. Maybe this time outside Lord Glorfindel's window."  
  
"Whose window did you tie him outside of last time?" Kari asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Lord Erestor's." Elrohir said with a smirk. "Elladan ended out tied there half the day because Erestor could not get him down and did not know how to voice the problem to anyone else." Kari giggled.  
  
"I'm sure. 'Uh, Lord Elrond, your son is tied to the tree outside my window with no clothes on...'" Kari said, grinning. "I can just HEAR the reverberating 'WHAT?!' now."  
  
"Mm-hm. I ended out having to follow Lord Erestor around without him really noticing and ask random Elves very loudly if they had seen Elladan. He ended out telling me, then getting both Elladan and I scolded when he found out I was the one that tied Elladan to the tree." Elrohir said. "Ah, yes, Lord Glorfindel's window it is."  
  
"We should probably get back at Rachel, too." Kari said thoughtfully, then added with a grin, "Wouldn't want her feeling left out, now, would we?"  
  
"No, we would not." Elrohir replied with a smirk.  
  
"I have a wonderful idea, too." Kari said, her grin widening.  
  
"Well, let's hear it after we go change. These clothes are starting to feel sticky." Elrohir said.  
  
"Agreed." Kari said, standing up. She and Elrohir then set off at the fastest walk they could manage for the House. They went quickly through the corridors, hoping to run into no one, but unfortunately, as they approached Elrohir's room, they turned a corner and found themselves face to face with none other than the Master of the House, Lord Elrond Peredhil.  
  
"Good Evening, Father!" Elrohir said cheerfully, making as if to go past his father. Elrond caught his son's arm, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Why are you...purple?" he asked.  
  
"Elladan and Rachel." Kari replied, and Elrond sighed.  
  
"I shall have to have a talk with them." he said.  
  
"No father, there's no need. We have it in hand." Elrohir replied.  
  
"And let another Prank War start? I think not." Elrond replied, arching his eyebrow again. "I shall talk to them. You two will do nothing."  
  
"But father -"  
  
"NOTHING. Do you understand me?" Elrond said, looking between Elrohir and Kari sternly.  
  
"Yes father." Elladan muttered, just as Kari muttered a "Yes, Lord Elrond."  
  
"Good. Now go get cleaned up." Elrond said. Elrohir and Kari nodded, then set off.  
  
"Of all the Elves we had to run into." Elrohir mumbled as they walked away. "The only one who can, or would, order us not to retaliate."  
  
"What about your mother?" Kari asked.  
  
"Mother has a sense of humour, unlike father." Elrohir said loudly.  
  
"Elrohir!" came Elrond's warning voice from behind them, and Elrohir smirked.  
  
"It has been far too long since Elladan and I played a prank on father." he said.  
  
"I'm NOT getting involved with that!" Kari said, holding up her hands.  
  
"I would not expect you to." Elrohir said with a smile as they arrived at his door. "If you'd like to come in, I could find you something dryer to wear back to your rooms." Kari eyed Elrohir for a moment. She knew that if she was back home, she wouldn't even hesitate before refusing the invitation, knowing it was not offered out of courtesy for her wet clothes, but for another reason entirely. But this was Middle-Earth, and Elrohir was an Elf, so she accepted with a nod.  
  
Elrohir smiled again as he opened the door for her to come in, closing it behind her before heading into his bedroom. Kari was, therefore, left alone once again in the reception room of Elrohir's chambers. As before, she drifted over to the window and looked out at the sky, which was slowly starting to lighten, and Kari realized with delight that Elrohir's window faced east.  
  
Elrohir, emerging from his bedroom after changing into some dry clothes and finding a robe suitable for Kari to wear back to her room, froze as he saw her. She was standing by the window, looking out with a small smile on her lips, the glow of the stars mingling with the first light of dawn across her face. In that instant, Elrohir was sure that he could see the light of Aman in Kari's face, and watched her with wonder, until the glow of the stars was at last outshone by the sun. Then Elrohir shook his head, and walked over to Kari, holding out the robes.  
  
"Here." he said, not trusting himself to say more.  
  
"Thanks." Kari said with a smile. "Mind if I change in your room?" Elrohir shook his head, and Kari disappeared into the bedroom. A few minutes later, she emerged, dressed in the robes, her damp purple dress draped over her arm.  
  
"Back to my room, then!" Kari said cheerfully. "Thanks."  
  
"It was nothing." Elrohir said with a smile, then, on impulse, "Perhaps I could escort you back to your room?" Kari hesitated for a moment, then nodded, and took Elrohir's arm and walked out of his room with him. Since the sun was up, there were many more Elves about the corridors, and Elrohir and Kari got many strange looks as they walked along. The two ignored the other Elves, however, except to laugh at some particularly funny looks they received.  
  
Finally, they reached Kari and Rachel's rooms and stopped outside the door. Elrohir hesitated for a moment, then leant over and gave Kari a light kiss on the cheek before bowing in farewell and heading off for a bath. Kari, in a daze, watched Elrohir's back until he was gone, and then quietly slipped into her rooms. Rachel was there, sitting in front of the window and reading a book of some sort, but she barely glanced up as Kari went through the main room to her bedroom, and said nothing, as if sensing that her friend didn't want to talk.  
  
----To be continued...with 10% more Arwen bashing!----  
(I don't have a problem with her, but it's just too hard to resist...)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
  
BRRRRR! There is nothing quite like going from +20 degrees Celsius weather to cold, wet rainy conditions that are almost near snow in less than a week to make one appreciate the warmth. God I hate the prairies...I want Albertan chinooks back, dammit!  
  
ANYways. Thank you to everybody who reviewed. You all get...hm...anything you want out of Glorfindel's room. Except Glorfindel. Feel free to take all his clothes so he has to wander around naked, though...Ah yes, the cold makes me think such pure thoughts.  
  
Now, off to watch 'The Two Towers'...  
  
~Crimson Starlight  
  
-Revision's Author's Note:-  
Removed some un-Tolkien-canon stuff near the beginning. Nothing important...  
  
~CS 


	9. Family REVISED

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Glorfindel: Why do you need to even repeat this every chapter?  
  
CS: Because otherwise some lawyer might go psycho on my arse and I'd get sued when I REALLY DON'T OWN ANYTHING.  
  
Glorfindel: And this is a bad thing?  
  
Rachel: (whaps Glorfindel) Yes, you stupid Elf-lord.  
  
Glorfindel: Hey, I'm not stupid...I killed a balrog!  
  
Balrog: Pure chance. And you died in the process.  
  
Glorfindel: AH! BALROG! (runs away)  
  
Rachel: Oh yes, fearsome Balrog slayer...  
  
Glorfindel: (yelling from far away) Hey, death by Balrog is very traumatizing, I'll have you know!  
  
CS: Anyways...did I already say I don't own anything?  
  
Rachel: Yes.  
  
CS: Oh, right, good...  
  
-9: Family-  
  
I wasn't mad at Kari for skipping out on the prank the night before. No, I was mad at her for leaving me up in a tree with Elladan for half the night, and then telling Lord Elrond who had turned her and Elrohir purple. Still, when she finally entered our rooms, she looked so dazed and lost to the world, her lips forming such a small, wondering smile, I decided I'd take it up with her later.  
  
And anyways, I was supposed to be meeting Elladan shortly so that we could go clean up the purple dye that Elrohir and Kari had dripped along the hallways of Rivendell when getting to their rooms - Lord Elrond's chosen punishment for us. Supposedly, after that, we were supposed to wash Elrohir and Kari's newly purpled clothes, but I had a feeling I'd be able to get out of it with Kari. Elladan had looked as if he knew how to get away without doing it, too - though I doubt it would be because he would talk his brother into doing it. Spending half the night in the tree with Elladan had revealed many things, not the least of which was that the twins wardrobes were basically identical. So Elladan would probably just chuck his twins purple outfit, replacing it with his own copy of the outfit, then go get another copy of the outfit made for himself when he felt like it.  
  
Deciding I needed to stop pretending to read while thinking, not to mention just stop thinking and go meet Elladan, I shut my book, put it down on the windowseat, and left. Kari would be able to find out where I'd gone easily enough.  
  
I met Elladan outside of his room, where he was staring at the purple stains on the floor leading to Elrohir's room thoughtfully, two buckets resting by his feet. I was dismayed to find that there were rags in the buckets, and not a mop was in sight. They probably hadn't invented them yet, I realized. I decided I'd have to fix that.  
  
"Penny for your thoughts?" I asked Elladan as he continued to stare at the floor thoughtfully, not seeming to notice my approach. There was a pause, then Elladan looked at me and blinked slowly.  
  
"Penny?" he asked.  
  
"Nevermind." I replied with a sigh. "What are you thinking of?"  
  
"Besides how to make the job easier, I was wondering why the purple stains just lead from the garden to Elrohir's room, and none lead towards your and Kari's rooms." Elladan replied.  
  
"Ah, I have the answers for both of those." I said with a nod. "Kari changed into a robe of Elrohir's before going back to our room - thus, no purple stains leading to her room. As for making the job easier, we just have to make a couple of mops."  
  
"Mops?" Elladan asked, cocking his head to one side.  
  
"Basically a bunch of rags - or a bunch of string - on the end of a pole. Makes it cleaner and easier to clean up, since you can use it standing up." I replied.  
  
"Sounds interesting." Elladan said.  
  
"Sounds handy, to me. Do you know where we could get some poles and whole tons of rags and string?" I asked. Elladan paused, thinking, then nodded. He shoved the buckets by his feet into the doorway of his room so they were out of the way, then set off, and I followed. An hour or so later, we had a couple of ratty-looking make-shift mops.  
  
"Anyone who says everything Elves make is beautiful needs to see these." I said with a giggle as I looked at my mop.  
  
"Well, they do have a sort of...rustic...beauty..." Elladan said, eyeing the mops.  
  
"No, they don't. They're butt ugly." I replied emphatically.  
  
"Butt ugly?" Elladan repeated, arching an eyebrow. "You have many interesting sayings, Rachel."  
  
"Just wait until I start swearing." I said, rolling my eyes. "It will probably take you an hour to figure out that I'm swearing, and another hour to figure out what I'm saying." Elladan arched an eyebrow at me.  
  
"Really." he said, sounding as if he didn't believe me. I shook my head and grabbed the mops.  
  
"Come on, let's go clean up the purple." I said. "Or at least spread it around a bit so it's not so noticable. Hee, clean up the purple, that sounds funny..." I finished in a mumble, and Elladan chuckled.  
  
"It does sound funny." he said, taking one fo the mops from me as we started off. We reached the hallway with Elladan and Elrohir's rooms quickly, then pulled the buckets out and set to work. The mops drew strange looks as we worked, except for from the Elves whose job it was to clean - they stopped and watched curiously for a moment, before walking off with a thoughtful look, sometimes coming over to talk to us for a bit first. By the time Elladan and I were done, we were sure every Elf on the cleaning staff of Rivendell had walked by us at least one. We didn't see much of anyone else, though - it seemed Kari and Elladan had taken unused corridors on their return from the gardens.  
  
We finished around lunch time, and after dropping off the buckets and mops with the head of the cleaning staff - who detained us for a good half hour to talk about the mops - we headed off for lunch in one of the halls of Rivendell. Having previously eaten all my meals in private, I was slightly nervous about going into a hall where a good chunk of the population of Rivendell was, as well. It didn't help when Elladan told me that Kari and I would both be sitting at the head table with him and the other Lords of Rivendell.  
  
But I took my place, nervously - next to Elladan. Kari, entering a few moments later, was seated next to me. Elrohir took the seat next to his twin when he arrived. After managing to stop our sniggering at Elrohir and Kari's purple skin, Elladan and I both soon got wrapped up in having conversations with our respective friend/sibling. At least, we tried to. Both Kari and Elrohir seemed to have their heads in the clouds, and the only time Kari looked in my direction, her eyes were focused on someone else, farther down the table - Elrohir.  
  
Before I could comment on this to Elladan, Elrond arrived - with his wife and his daughter. I'll say this - it's a darn good thing Tolkien decided to leave Celebrían out of the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, because Peter Jackson would have NEVER been able to find an actress to do her anything even NEARING justice. Or perhaps he would, since Arwen was supposedly the more beautiful of the two, and she actually did look surprisingly like Liv Tyler - only about ten times more beautiful. I don't know, maybe it was just my inate attraction to Aragorn that made me instantly dismiss Arwen and think Celebrían was the more beautiful of the two. Or maybe Arwen just hadn't grown into her beauty yet or something.  
  
Whatever the reason, I was rather glad that Arwen ended out being five seats away. Besides meaning I didn't have to talk to her, Kari was pulled out of her little trance and got a mischievious gleam in her eyes. She hadn't liked Arwen ever since she saw the film, and, knowing Kari, after seeing Glorfindel in the flesh, that dislike had probably tripled, at the least. A few more seats at the head table were empty, but Elrond, Celebrían and Arwen's arrival seemed to have been the cue for the meal to begin, and servers began to bring out trays of food.  
  
"Remember to find out what she's like before you start cat-fighting." I murmured softly to Kari as the food was brought out, not quite liking the look in Kari's eyes.  
  
"She stole Glorfindel's one moment of glory in the entire trilogy!" Kari hissed back.  
  
"In the movie!" I replied, carefully keeping my voice quiet and eyeing those around Kari and I to make sure they heard nothing. "You don't know what will happen here! If this sticks true to Tolkien's world - which I have a feeling it will - then Glorfindel's moment of glory will still be Glorfindel's."  
  
"Doesn't mean I have to be nice to her." Kari mumbled. I resisted the urge to whack Kari over the head with a nearby loaf of bread.  
  
"Yes it does!" I hissed at her. "She's the only daughter of our host and the Evenstar of the Elvish people! We should act honoured to meet her so as to keep up our story, at the least!" Kari mumbled something else under her breath, but then gave me a resigned smile, assuring me she'd do her best to be polite.  
  
As it turned out, we were far enough away from both Arwen and Celebrían that we were not expected to talk to either, but both Elladan and Elrohir were wrapped up in talking to their mother throughout the meal. So since two of the empty seats at the head table were on the other side of Kari, Kari and I were left with only each other to talk to. We talked quietly throughout the meal about little things - the hall, the Elves, what we'd seen, things like that. We were both too cautious to talk about home out there in the great hall, and neither of us was quite ready to touch on the subject of Kari being purple. By the end of the meal, however, we'd had enough of smalltalk, and were planning on heading back to our rooms to do some serious talking when our arms were snagged by the twins just outside the hall.  
  
"Come, you must meet mother and Arwen!" Elrohir said cheerfully. I caught Kari's quick grimace, and allowed myself a momentary grin before worrying about what she might do or say. The twins led us out of the hall into one of the nearby gardens, where Elrond, Celebrían and Arwen stood talking. They turned to us with smiles as we approached, and I suddenly felt nervous.  
  
"I see you managed to catch them." Elrond said cheerfully, and the twins nodded. We were then introduced to Celebrían and Arwen, who both greeted us nicely enough. Watching Arwen, I saw that she seemed to be watching Kari rather closely, and understood after looking at Kari myself and finding that she still hadn't let go of Elrohir's arm, unlike me, who had let Elladan's arm go almost as soon as we arrived. I grinned to myself then. Ah yes, Kari was going to have to be more than polite to Arwen if she wanted to get any farther with Elrohir.  
  
"Elrond tells me you have been travelling for the past four millenia?" Celebrían asked once we were introduced. Kari and I both nodded.  
  
"That we have." I replied.  
  
"So you must have seen much of Middle-Earth, correct?" Celebrían asked. Kari and I nodded again, feeling a little wary now.  
  
"We have seen much of the wilderness, yes." Kari said, hoping to stop any questions about towns. We both knew that we could fudge descriptions of wilderness well enough, but cities or towns - not a chance.  
  
"To have travelled for over four millenia to see naught but wilderness, you must have developed some extraordinary survival skills." Celebrían commented. Celebrían was testing us, I could tell - if she asked us any specific questions, we would fall flat on our faces. We had some survival skills from living in the Australian outback, but I had a feeling those would all be practically useless in Middle-Earth, even if we could find an environment somewhat like the outback. Thankfully, Kari thought up a way around that little problem.  
  
"We developed some, yes, but they are mostly untaught, and we went into small towns or stopped as homestead quite often to renew our supplies." she said easily. I made a mental note to thank her later, as well as to find a book on surviving in northern, colder wilderness and read it as quickly as possible.  
  
"I am somewhat interested in wilderness travel, myself. Perhaps we could talk of it sometime?" Arwen put in. Kari didn't seem to relish the idea, but nodded all the same.  
  
"Perhaps." she replied.  
  
"Speaking of the wilderness, I hear you two do archery?" Celebrían said, and I grinned.  
  
"Not very well on my part, but yes." I replied.  
  
"If you'd just TRY to improve, I'm sure you'd do fine." Kari said to me, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Probably." I said cheerfully.  
  
"But it is much more fun to shoot annoying people in the butt, right?" Elladan said dryly, and I grinned as I nodded. Elrond looked rather disaproving at that, but I noticed that both Arwen and Celebrían were trying to hide smiles.  
  
"If your skills with a bow are so dismal, what weapon did you use to defend yourself in the wild?" Arwen asked after a moment, getting her amusement under control.  
  
"Eh, this and that, torches, rocks, the occasional sword, some kicking and punching, playing dead, and insanity." I replied vaguely.  
  
"Insanity is a weapon?" Elladan asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Just as much as fear." I replied with a maniacle grin. "It's amazing how fast bandits will run if you pretend to be a madwoman." Kari, besides me, sniggered, probably remebering the incident I had based this little vague story on - a door-to-door insurance salesman had shown up at our door one day shortly after our burned-down house had been rebuilt, and we had both pretended to be crazy. We absolutely terrified the poor guy, and he probably broke a world record on the dash back to his car when we finally let him go.  
  
"I am sure I can imagine." Celebrían said with amusement, and the glance she shot at Elrond implied that there was more to that statement than was shown. Elrond just cleared his throat, however, and made an excuse about having business to attend to before leaving. Celebrían followed.  
  
"Notice he did not say *official* business?" Elrohir said to his twin with a snigger once their parents were gone, and Arwen promptly whacked her brother on the arm.  
  
"Elrohir! Behave!" she said, and cast a meaningful glance at Kari and I.  
  
"We've heard worse." I said with an amused smile.   
  
"Hell, we've said worse." Kari said with a laugh.  
  
"And I'm pretty sure you've done worse." I said with a grin. I ducked as Kari took a swipe at my head, causing the twins to snigger slightly. Arwen, too lady-like to snigger, laughed instead.  
  
"Then there is little risk of them corrupting you, then." Arwen said when we calmed down.  
  
"Nah, we're more likely to corrupt them." Kari said dismissively.  
  
"I doubt that." Elrohir said dryly. Kari and I looked at each other, then turned back to the twins.  
  
"Ever heard of incest?" I asked the twins. They paused, then reluctantly shook their heads.  
  
"Then we're more likely to corrupt you." Kari said with a grin.  
  
"Though I'm not sure I'd care to introduce the concept of incest to Rivendell." I said with a grimace. "Even if it has already happened once in Middle-Earth's history."  
  
"Really?" Kari asked me in surprise, and I nodded.  
  
"Yep, First Age. In the race of Men." I replied. "Due to the Dark Powers, of course."  
  
"Now I want to know what incest is," Elrohir complained.  
  
"I'm sure it is better that you do not," Arwen replied dryly.  
  
"Yeah, in fact, forget the whole word." I said.  
  
"What word?" I jumped and spun, coming face-to-neck with another Elf. Peering up, I discovered it was Glorfindel.  
  
"Dammit, don't sneak up on people!" I said. "And you all need to shrink." Everyone chuckled at that, even Kari - she was several inches taller then me, after all. Somehow my human shortness had translated into me being the shortest Elf in Rivendell, and it wasn't fun.  
  
"My apologies for sneaking up on you." Glorfindel said with a smile. "But I am afraid I had to come to steal Elladan and Elrohir from you. They have weapons lessons this afternoons, if they recall." Elladan and Elrohir groaned as one.  
  
"Is it time to get beaten up by you again already?" Elladan mumbled.  
  
"If you would just practice, you would not be beaten so easily." Glorfindel scolded lightly.  
  
"This sounds amusing. Can I come watch?" Kari asked, a gleam in her eyes that I recognized all to well. Her thoughts had gone down the path of weapons practice = shirtless male elves. I rolled my eyes as Elrohir seemed to perk up at the idea of Kari coming. Glorfindel seemed to notice Elrohir's reaction, and glanced between Kari and Elrohir before nodding.  
  
"I'm sure it could do no harm." he said.  
  
"Might do some good." I muttered, just loud enough that Glorfindel could hear, and a grin flitted over his face before he motioned for the twins and Kari to follow, and they all set off out of the garden.  
  
"So what IS incest?" Arwen asked once the twins were gone, and I looked at her in surprise for a moment.  
  
"Ever hear the story of Túrin Turambar and Nienor Níniel?" I asked. Arwen paused for a moment, frowning, as if searching her memory, and then nodded. "Their relationship after Nienor forgot her past was incest."  
  
"Ah." Arwen said, frowning.  
  
"Don't tell the twins." I added.  
  
"Trust me - I shan't." Arwen said emphatically. "Their minds are demented enough as it is."  
  
----To be continued...with 33.333333333% more cool horses!----  
(Pretty horsies!)  
  
-Things to know:-  
Túrin Turambar and Nienor Níniel:  
  
Túrin and Nienor lived while Morgoth (the original Dark Lord) was still trying to take over Arda. Túrin was fostered by the Elves before his sister Nienor was born because of the war with Morgoth, and thus neither knew what the other looked like. Túrin eventually left his foster home when word came in that the village his mother lived in had been attacked, determined to find his mother, but he got sidetracked along the way. When he finally reached his mothers house, he found it deserted, and assumed the worst, not knowing that his mother and sister had gone to his foster home to find him. Thinking his mother had been killed, he started on a major vendetta against Morgoth.  
  
While Túrin was carrying out this vendetta, he happened to become the top warrior in another Elvish kingdom, and his mother and sister heard and set off to find him. Before they could arrive, however, Morgoth attacked the kingdom where Túrin was, sending Glaurung the big bad dragon. Túrin managed to flee and find a group of men living in the woods, but his sister and mother showed up after the battle. Glaurung had stuck around after the battle, liking all the gold the Elves had. He scared Túrin's mother's horse so it galloped off into the wilderness and she was lost, but he hypnotised Nienor so that she forgot her past. You can see where this is going.  
  
Nienor wandered around lost for awhile, then found the same wood men that Túrin had. Túrin, now going by the name of Turambar (Master of Doom), and Nienor, now called Níniel (Tear-maiden) because she was found crying, met, fell in love, got married. Eventually Túrin went off to kill Glaurung for some reason that I forget. In the ensuing chaos, Nienor and Túrin found out that they were siblings, Glaurung died, Nienor threw herself off a cliff (thereby dieing), and Túrin, sick of having bad luck, impaled himself on his sword and died. A demented version of Romeo and Juliet.  
  
And that it how you compress an entire chapter of 'The Silmarillion' into three paragraphs.  
  
-Authors Note:-  
  
'The Mask of Zorro' = cool movie. Lots of sword fighting! And cute guy playing Zorro at the end! Once he got cleaned up and shaved. Yes.  
  
Thank you to all my reviewers, especially Aislin, Duke Storm, KnowInsight, and everybody else who has been reviewing my stories even before I started posting this one. All reviewers get the cyber brownies I made in home ec today...enjoy! (they're edible, I promise...)  
  
Also, sorry for any typos or spelling errors int his chapter. It's late (ok, more like I'm low on sleep) and I can't remember whether or not I spell-checked this chapter, let alone editted it...  
  
~Crimson Starlight  
  
-Revision's Author's Note:-  
Messed with the three-paragraph summary of the story of Túrin Turambar and Nienor Níniel...tried to make it clearer.  
  
~CS 


	10. Riding REVISED

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Not mine. To be honest, I don't even wish I owned anything so much as wished I could live IN Middle-Earth. Such a funky place...  
  
Glorfindel: You just want to be an elf.  
  
CS: And what's wrong with that? Elves are pretty! Or sexy, in the male's cases. And they don't get sick! Which is why everybody REALLY wants to be Elves, anyways.  
  
Legolas: I thought the majority wanted to be Elves to marry me...  
  
CS: Probably. Now scram, you're not in this fic.  
  
-10: Riding-  
  
The next morning found me curled up in the windowseat of the main room of Kari and my's rooms, reading a book on wilderness survival. Well, the early morning found me there. I had started reading almost immediatly after having breakfast, but I got no more then a dozen pages before there was a knock on the door. Kari was in bed, asleep, having spent the majority of the night out with Elrohir. So with a sigh, I put down my book and went to the door. Opening it, I discovered Elrohir and Elladan waiting in the hallway.  
  
"Good morning, Rachel!" The purple one of the pair said cheerfully.  
  
"Good morning Elrohir, Elladan." I said. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"We thought you and Kari might like to come for a ride." Elladan said.  
  
"Uhm, Kari's asleep. But I'd love to come." I said.  
  
"Asleep?" Elrohir asked in surprise.  
  
"Yeah. SOMEONE kept her out all night." I said pointedly. Elrohir had the grace to look sheepish. "I'd invite you to come in and wake her up to pay her back for waking you up, but she thrashes a lot in her sleep and usually throws her blankets on the floor."  
  
"What does that have to do with me waking her up?" Elrohir asked curiously.  
  
"She sleeps naked."  
  
"Ah."  
  
"So, do you want to try and wake her up so she can come with us, or shall we just leave her?" Elladan asked me. I pondered for a moment.  
  
"I'll leave her a note. I don't want to have to deal with a grumpy Kari." I said.  
  
"She does not take kindly to being woken up?" Elrohir asked with a smile as I stepped back into Kari and my's room to find a quill, ink and some parchment with which to write Kari a note. The twins followed me a few steps into the room so they weren't standing in the hall.  
  
"She takes it about the same as most, but it's always best to let her sleep when you can, since if she starts to build up a bunch of sleepless nights, she gets rather cranky." I replied, finding the writing supplies I was looking for in a small window desk. I quickly scribbled out a note to Kari, telling her I was out riding with Elladan and Elrohir, then left it on the table, one corner pinned underneath a water jug.  
  
"Right, let's go!" I said cheerfully, and set out towards the door, Elrohir and Elladan following.  
  
The horse paddocks, I discovered once we left the room, were on practically the other side of Rivendell. The only place where there was room for the horses to run, really. The specific paddock we were going to had horses which had no specific rider in it, except for Elladan and Elrohir's horses, who the twins had put there before coming to get me - and, they had thought, Kari.  
  
We arrived at the paddocks fairly quickly, and with two quick whistles, Elladan and Elrohir summoned their horses. Strangely enough, the horse were about as different as the twins were identical - Elladan's horse was a light chestnut brown, tall and lanky, with three tall white stockings and a prominant white blaze. Elrohir's horse, on the other hand, was sturdily built and dappled grey. I couldn't help but grin as I looked between the two horses, and Elladan noticed.  
  
"Rachel, meet Narore and Hrivesure." he said with a smile, motioning to first his horse, then Elrohir's.  
  
"Nice to meetcha." I said, still grinning. Elrohir rolled his eyes.  
  
"Why does everyone have that reaction when they see our mounts?" he asked his brother. Elladan shrugged. Elrohir sighed, then turned back to me. "Stop grinning, Rachel, and come find your own horse."  
  
"That's not a reason to stop grinning." I said, still grinning. Elrohir chuckled, then hopped over the paddock fence, quickly followed by his twin. I eyed the fence for a moment, wondering if I could hop over it without showing anything indecent. I decided I couldn't, so I climbed over it more sedately and carefully.  
  
"Stupid dress." I muttered when I finally got into the paddock. Elladan and Elrohir looked at me in amusement.  
  
"If you are ready?" Elladan said, nodding his head in the direction of the large clump of trees that Narore and Hrivesure had come out of. I nodded, and we set off at a brisk pace. Hrivesure followed us curiously, while Narore anticipated our destination and galloped ahead.  
  
I wasn't sure what to expect when we entered the clump of trees, but I certainly wasn't expecting the large collection of variously coloured horses that were actually there. All the horses looked liked prime Thoroughbreds or Quarterbacks, and were absolutely amazing. I just stood there gaping for a few minutes, until Elladan nudged me.  
  
"Pick one." he said. I looked up at him and blinked.  
  
"Just one?" I asked, and he grinned.  
  
"Just one." he said, then gave me a small push towards the horses. Very much in awe of the horses I was looking at, I moved slowly amoung them, and they, for the most part, gave me a cursory curious look before ignoring me completely. After a few minutes of wandering, it occurred to me that just about any horse owner would kill to own even the foal of one of these horses, and I giggled. One of the horses looked at me funny as I giggled, and I stuck my tongue out at it. To my surprise, it lifted its head from the grass it had been chomping and replied in kind. I stared at it for a moment, until it brought its tongue back into its mouth and went back to chomping on the grass. Then I grinned and skipped over to the horse.  
  
"You are SO my horse." I said, bending down to look in one of the horses eyes. It looked back at me with as amused an expression as a horse could have. Still grinning, I straightened and looked over towards Elladan and Elrohir.  
  
"Found one!" I called.  
  
"Good, where are you?" One of the twins replied.  
  
"Over here!" I called, then, at the request of the twins, I waved a hand in the air to mark my position. Even with several extra inches I was still frigging short.  
  
I used the time it took the twins to find me to give my horse a good look-over, and was very pleased with what I saw - well, except for the fact that the horse was really really tall. I had a feeling I'd need a step stool to get on it. It had nice markings, though - it was black, with high white stockings on its front legs and low white stockings on its hind legs, a brilliant white star on its forehead, and a white mane and tail.  
  
The twins eventually found their way to where I was standing by my horse, which was now busy cropping the grass in a circle around me. As the twins approached, I was surprised to see the horse I'd claimed casually bare its teeth at them. Frowning, I whacked the horse on the shoulder, and then looked back at the twins to see them looking between me and 'my' horse in surprise.  
  
"I should have guessed." Elladan said dryly after a moment.  
  
"Should have guessed what?" I asked curiously.  
  
"The one troublesome stallion in the entire herd and you pick it." Elrohir replied with a small smile.  
  
"Troublesome stallion?" I peered at my horse suspiciously. Feeling my gaze, it lifted its head and looked back at me. "Eh, he stuck his tongue out at me. He's cool - and mine." I wrapped my arms protectively around the horses neck, grinning like the an idiot.  
  
"You criteria for picking him was that he stuck his tongue out at you?" Elladan asked in disbelief, and I paused for a moment, then nodded.  
  
"Pretty much, yep." I said.  
  
"Well, if you can handle him..." Elrohir said in resignation, shaking his head.  
  
"I'll have to get UP on him first, but I'm sure I'll manage." I said, and the twins chuckled. "So, does he have a name, or do I get to name him?"  
  
"All the horses have names, but it is traditional that you give him a new one." Elladan replied. I paused, looking at my horse thoughtfully, pondering what to name him. My eyes eventually settled on his forehead, and the star there pulled out of my memory a name I'd made up back when Kari and I had made up our Elvish names. It was another Elvish name, simply the translation of what I'd always said I would call the first horse I ever owned (if I ever owned one) - Liltalen, Star Dancer. Well, this stallion was my first horse, so it fit.  
  
"Liltalen." I said quietly, and the stallion, as if already knowing it was his new name, lifted his head and nuzzled my arm briefly before returning to his grazing.  
  
"What was that?" Elladan asked me, having not quite heard.  
  
"Liltalen. His name is Liltalen." I said. Elladan and Elrohir glanced at each other.  
  
"Sounds...feminine." Elladan said after a moment, and Liltalen bared his teeth at the Elf.  
  
"Well then it fits, since Liltalen's so smart." I said with a smirk.  
  
"Are you saying that males are not smart?" Elrohir asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, males invented war. And both the attempted Dark Lords have been male." I replied innocently, then added thoughtfully, "Exceptions are made, of course, for the good Valar and Maia."  
  
"Of course." Elladan said, rolling his eyes. I smiled sweetly.  
  
"Well then, since you have found your horse, shall we go see if you can mount him and stay mounted long enough for us to carry out the promised ride?" Elrohir suggested.  
  
"Sure!" I said, and the twins set off out of the trees, with their horses following them. I, much to the twins amusement, skipped along behind them, Liltalen meandering after me, pausing here and there to touch muzzles with another horse, or to take a nibble at some grass.  
  
"Do you need a saddle to ride?" Elladan asked me once we'd left the trees. I hesitated for a moment. I had had some riding lessons at home, but not enough to be able to ride bareback, and I knew most Elves were supposed to be able to ride bareback. Plus, I had supposedly spent the past few millenia travelling - I was somewhat surprised Elladan even asked, though glad he had. Now, however, I needed to come up with a reason for riding with a saddle. A quick glance back at Liltalen, Narore and Hrivesure, and a comparison of the three horses sizes, gave me my way out.  
  
"Normally, no, but Liltalen is the biggest horse I've ever ridden. I'd prefer to start riding him with a saddle." I said, and made a mental note to go for rides by myself and practice riding bareback. For now, though, Elladan just nodded in acceptance of my need for a saddle, and the twins led me to the gate of the paddock - which was, it happened, not to far from where we'd hopped over the fence.  
  
"You two could have told me the gate was here BEFORE I climbed over the fence." I commented when Elrohir opened the gate. The twins grinned at me.  
  
"But it was much more fun to watch you climb over the fence!" Elladan said.  
  
"You just wanted me to slip and show you both my underwear." I said with a snort, walking through the gate.  
  
"Of course not! Whatever would give you that idea?" Elladan asked innocently as he and his twin followed me through. I just gave Elladan a look, and when Liltalen came through the gate, he bared his teeth - again - at Elladan.  
  
"I'm beginning to think getting you a horse might have been a bad idea." Elrohir said with an arched eyebrow as I gave Liltalen a pat and crooned at him for being a good boy.  
  
"Of course it's not! Whatever would give you that idea?" I said cheerily, then skipped off down the path to the stables of Rivendell, Liltalen following me.  
  
When I got to the stables, I had the extreme fun of seeing the stablehands faces when they saw what horse was following me. Absolute panic. One actually thought that Liltalen had gotten loose and was threatening me. I had knocked that notion out of his head by the time Elladan and Elrohir arrived.  
  
The twins, after having assured the stable staff that Liltalen was not loose, and that he was not going to do them any harm as long as I was around, got the stablehands to get some of the tack that was kept in the stables, primarily for human visitors and new riders. All the twins reassurance's went out the window, however, when Liltalen, upon seeing the tack, bared his teeth and started backing away.  
  
I promptly whacked Liltalen on the shoulder and told him to behave. He rolled his eyes at me. I stuck out my tongue at him. He stuck out his tongue in response. I pulled on his tongue. Liltalen started, stared at me for a moment, then casually ambled over to one of the stablehands and nudged the saddle the Elf was holding. The stablehands, almost in a daze, bridled and saddled Liltalen, and I watched with a smirk. Elladan and Elrohir just shook their heads and mounted their horses to wait for me. Liltalen was ready quickly, and it was only then that I realized I was wearing a dress, and that the saddle that had been put on Liltalen was a side saddle.  
  
"No." I said flatly when I noticed this. "Put a normal saddle on him while I go change." All the elves in the stable, including Elladan and Elrohir, looked at me in surprise. "I am NOT riding side-saddle." I said with an arched eyebrow.  
  
"Well you shall have to." Elrohir said, stilling the stablehands that had just begun to move to change the saddle with a glance. "I helped father gather your wardrobe, and I know there are no riding dresses in it."  
  
"No riding dresses, no." I said brightly. "But I do have some trousers and a tunic." Elrohir blinked in surprise.  
  
"You cannot wear trousers!" he said after a moment. "It is not proper." I cocked my head to one side and looked up at Elrohir, considering how to answer that. I could answer many ways, but there was only one way that truly appealed to me.  
  
"I don't bloody care what's proper and what's not, Elrohir, and the day I do start caring, I'll throw myself off the fucking tallest cliff I can find." I said flatly. Several of the stablehands just about fell over from shock, while Elrohir looked rather annoyed.  
  
"Besides, brother, she's already worn the outfit once." Elladan put in, amused.  
  
"What? When?" Elrohir asked with a frown, his head whipping around so he could peer at his brother.  
  
"When we turned you purple. We originally climbed a tree, if you will recall what I told you, and she refused to do so in a dress. I leant her a pair of trousers and tunic, but I did not realise until just now that she did not return them." Elladan replied.  
  
"Exactly. So, now that that's settled, I'm going to go change, Liltalen's saddle is going to be changed to a normal one, and if you have a problem with that, Elrohir, you don't have to come." I said, then turned and headed off in the direction of my room. Through the miracle of my pride and indignation, I managed to get to my room without getting lost or having to ask for directions.  
  
Kari was still asleep, so I let her be and changed quickly before heading back to the stables. When I got to the stables again, I found that, to my surprise, while Liltalen was now sporting a normal saddle, Elrohir was nowhere in sight. I shot Elladan a questioning look as I went over to Liltalen and mounted up.  
  
"He listened to you." Elladan said with a helpless shrug. I blinked.  
  
"You're kidding. Elrohir actually decided not to come because he had a problem with me riding in trousers?" I asked increduously. Elladan nodded.  
  
"He can be a...stickler for propriety sometimes." Elladan said, almost apologetically.  
  
"Then he's not going to be spending a lot of time around me." I said flatly, and urged Liltalen into a walk, heading off down the road out of Rivendell. Elladan caught up quickly, and we rode in silence for awhile. While I have no idea what Elladan was thinking, I was brooding over Elrohir's intolerance. I hoped sincerely that his attitude towards me wearing 'men's' clothing wasn't a common one in Rivendell - it was such a nice place, I'd hate for it to be spoiled by something as small as no tolerance for women's lib. Especially since, if people did start muttering about me wearing men's clothing, I would have to leave. I was not going to give up pants.  
  
Don't get me wrong, I'm not one who cares overly much about my reputation. But I also hate being lonely, and if my reputation dropped far enough, no one but Kari would talk to me. And even Kari might stop after awhile - peer presure can be an awefully hard thing to bear. I should know, usually I was one facing the pressure to stop being friends with Kari. I smiled wryly as I realized that Kari and I had effectively switched roles. But it wasn't my fault that Kari could go from one extreme to another - verging on slutty to what our world would consider almost prude - while I just stayed firmly in the middle, never quite accepted.  
  
"Arwen seems quite nice." I said suddenly, deciding I needed to talk.  
  
"She is." Elladan said with a small smile. "The best sister I could have ever hoped for."  
  
"And the fact that she's the Evenstar only helps, yes?" I said wryly, and Elladan grinned in response.  
  
"It helps somewhat." he said, and we fell into silence once more. I dug around for a topic that I could bring up that would lead to lots of talking on Elladan's part - for some reason I was in the mood to listen - and since we were now surrounded completely by forest, I picked on the first Middle-Earthian thing that I could think of related to nature.  
  
"So, tell me, what do you know about the Dúnedain?" I asked. Elladan started somewhat and looked at me in surprise.  
  
"You have heard of them, then? Not many people have..." he said, and eyed me appraisingly.  
  
"I have." I said needlessly. "And I'm curious about them."  
  
"What exactly about them are you curious about?" Elladan asked. He sounded as if he was being cautious, and remembering that the Dúnedain's origins weren't exactly well known, I realized why he was being careful. I smiled slightly.  
  
"I was wondering why the people that could rightfully be ruling one of the largest Kingdoms of men are now hiding in the northern wilderness." I said. Elladan just arched an eyebrow this time at my newest revelation of my knowledge, then started in on an explanation about how the Dúnedain had tried to return to Gondor, but had been turned away, and now they were just staying in the wilderness until the right time came for them to return. I knew the bare basics of it, but Elladan had been directly involved in some cases, so his tale of the how and the why of the Dúnedain's forming was much more interesting than anything of Tolkien's that I'd read.  
  
By the time Elladan had finished talking about the Dúnedain, we had gotten a good ways from Rivendell, and the sun was quite high in the sky. Elladan, to my surprise, pulled out a small lunch of dried meats and fruits, along with some lembas, from somewhere, and we ate while we rode, falling into silence. After eating, Elladan found a stream, and we had a brief drink before getting back on our horses and heading back to Rivendell. On the way out, I had been content to listen, but now, I felt like discussing something, and I grabbed at the most obvious thing that came to mind.  
  
"Kari and Elrohir seem to be getting along quite nicely, don't you think?" I asked. Elladan nodded and chuckled.  
  
"That they are. I have not seen my brother this interested in a maiden for several hundred years." he said.  
  
"And I have never seen Kari so interested in any male." I said with a smirk. "Though she deffinately has not lacked for company throughout the years." I added wryly.  
  
"Oh?" Elladan asked with an arched eyebrow. I smiled and nodded.  
  
"Kari had quite the time whenever we went to town." I said.  
  
"I take it I should warn my brother not to expect her to be a shy, inexperienced maiden, then." Elladan said ruefully.  
  
"That would be a rather good idea." I said. "Though somehow I don't think he'll care." Elladan smirked and nodded.  
  
"Me either." he said, "Serve him right, too. All the maidens around here are scared to say 'boo' to him." I chuckled.  
  
"Let me guess - he reminds them too much of Elrond?" I asked.  
  
"From what they have told me, I would assume so." he said.  
  
"What they've told you?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. Elladan grinned slightly.  
  
"It is amazing how much maidens will talk when they have some mirovur in them." he said.  
  
"Elladan, have you been getting females drunk?" I asked him reprovingly. He nodded vigorously.  
  
"It's quite amusing." he said.  
  
"Remind me to stay away from you when there's alcohol in the vacinity." I said dryly. "I'll have enough problems keeping Kari from getting me drunk." Elladan arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh ho. Does Kari get you drunk often?" he asked.  
  
"She tries to. She usually ends up being the drunk one." I said with a smirk.  
  
"Let me guess, you keep switching glasses with her, so you get the weaker alcohol that she is having?" Elladan asked with a grin, and I nodded viogorusly. "Sounds like the trick I use, both on maidens and Elrohir."  
  
"Elrohir too?" I asked with amusement.  
  
"What sort of a brother would I be if I did not supply Elrohir with alcohol?" Elladan asked innocently. I chuckled.  
  
"Too true. Both Elrohir and Kari need it, anyways." I said. "Elrohir needs some loosening up, and I'm just getting Kari drunk for her own good. I'm nasty when I have a hangover."  
  
"Hangover?" Elladan asked curiously. I blinked, then realized what I'd just done - Elves didn't get sick, and here I was mentioning myself getting sick when everyone assumed I was an Elf.  
  
"Happens to me after I get drunk - I feel unusually tired, and cruelly giddy. I don't know why." I lied off the top of my head, hoping it would pass.  
  
"Cruelly giddy? How is THAT possible?" Elladan asked with an arched eyebrow.  
  
"Easily. One just has to be very hyper and in a bad mood. Then you're mean to just about anyone you run across, and happy while doing so." I replied. "Not something I like to be very often." Elladan nodded in agreement, but the look in his eyes told me he hadn't completely bought my story, or was somewhat disturbed by it. Whatever was going through his head, I decided I didn't want to know - in fact, I wanted to stop thinking entirely for awhile and just focus on the here and now. And what better way to do that than to race?  
  
"I'll race you back to Rivendell." I said to Elladan with a grin.  
  
"It's still a long ways off." he said with an arched eyebrow.  
  
"And?" I asked impatiently. "Does Narore not have the stamina to make it back or something?"  
  
"Of course he does." Elladan said stiffly, feigning offence. "But are you sure Liltalen does?"  
  
"I shall have to discover that." I said with a grin, and Liltalen snorted indignantly. I arched an eyebrow at Elladan, and he hesitated for only a moment, then shrugged and kicked Narore into a gallop.  
  
"HEY!" I called out, "NO FAIR!" Then I kicked Liltalen into a gallop, and took off after Elladan. I caught up with him fairly quickly, but then slowed Liltalen, wanting to save his speed for the end of the race. Elladan was apparently doing the same thing, however, as when Rivendell came into sight, both Narore and Liltalen sped up considerably.  
  
It wasn't until we scared the guards out of their wits by blasting past them - Liltalen only a horse's head length ahead of Narore - that we slowed down, and then discovered that both of us were laughing giddily. Liltalen, knowing that he'd won, pranced around the stable yard, me still on top of him. Narore was walking around more sedately, being led around by a dismounted Elladan. And that was the scene Lord Elrond found when he came into the yard at a jog. He arched an eyebrow at Elladan and I, which only made me crack up more. Elladan grinned somewhat, as well, though he sobered immediatly when a scowling Glorfindel appeared behind Elrond. I sobered somewhat, too, though I was still grinning - it didn't take a genius to figure out that a scowling Elf-lord was not a good sign.  
  
"I believe I spoke to you about galloping into Rivendell at top speed, Elladan?" Glorfindel said acidly, and I inwardly winced. Oops, if I'd known Elladan wasn't supposed to do that, I wouldn't have done it. Well, I probably would have, but we'd have stopped earlier.  
  
"Yes, m'Lord, you did." Elladan said stiffly.  
  
"But you didn't talk to me about it." I said blandly, coming to Elladan's defence. Glorfindel's scowl turned to me. I smiled back at him. Glorfindel's scowl turned into a glare. I continued to smile. Glorfindel turned away with a 'harumph'.  
  
"I shall have to remedy that. When you have put your horse away, come to my study." Glorfindel said crisply, then stalked off. I watched him go with an amused smile. When he was out of sight, I turned my attention back to Elrond and Elladan, who were looking at me with mild surprise.  
  
"What?" I demanded.  
  
"THAT is something I have not seen in awhile." Elrond said dryly, shaking himself out of his surprise.  
  
"I've NEVER seen that before." Elladan said, a touch of awe in his voice.  
  
"What?" I asked again.  
  
"It takes a very strong will indeed to stare down Lord Glorfindel." Elrond said, his lips twitching in an attempt to smile. "The last one to do so was King Gil-Galad."  
  
"Meh. Perks of being slightly insane." I said with a shrug. "On that note, my apologies for riding into Rivendell at top speed. It was spur-of-the-moment, and if I had known we weren't supposed to do so, I would have seen about stopping before we reached the stables." Elrond accepted my apology with a nod.  
  
"Very well, but you shall still have to speak with Glorfindel." he said.  
  
"Wouldn't miss it." I said with a grin. Elladan looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "Insane." I said by way of a reminder, pointing to myself. Elladan just shook his head and went about rubbing down Narore while Elrond disapeared back inside the main house. I shrugged and dismounted, then set to work on getting Liltalen settled.  
  
----To be continued...with a chapter full of, and named after, everybody's favourite Balrog-slaying Elf-lord----  
('nuff said)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
  
I have no Author's Note. Or at least, I'm too tired to remember and write down an Author's Note. So I'll just go with the good ol' THANK YOU REVIEWERS! Y'all are great. And if all you readers out there submit a review, you can be amoung the privilaged number of the reviewers and get thanked, as well!  
  
~Crimson Starlight  
  
-Revision's Author's Note:-  
Elladan and Rachel's conversation about Kari and Elrohir? Completely changed so it's more Tolkien-canon-like...  
  
~CS 


	11. Glorfindel

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Not mine. At least, not until I find several trillion dollars worth of small yellow beads and use them to buy Tolkiens estate.  
  
Glorfindel: Small yellow beads?  
  
CS: Yes.  
  
Rachel: I hesitate to ask...but why small yellow beads?  
  
CS: Because they're the first thing that popped into my head.  
  
Rachel: ...  
  
Glorfindel: Riiiiiiight... *backs away slowly, followed by Rachel*  
  
-11: Glorfindel-  
  
While Glorfindel had said to come to his study after getting Liltalen settled, after getting Liltalen settled, I realized two things that delayed me from doing what he'd said. One, I was sweaty and sticky and wearing none-to-clean clothes, and two, I had no idea where Glorfindel's study was. I solved part of the first problem by going to my room - only stopping to ask for directions twice - and changing into a light blue cotton dress. It was possibly the plainest of all the dresses in the wardrobe, but it also looked to be the most comfortable, and for now I was in the mood to be comfortable.  
  
After that, I checked on Kari and found her gone, along with the note I'd left for her. No help from her in finding Glorfindel's study, then. Instead, I walked out into the hallways and snagged the first elf I ran across and asked them where Glorfindel's study was. Surprisingly, they didn't know. I thanked them and wandered off, looking for another Elf. I almost literally ran into another after a limited amount of wandering, and once again asked where Glorfindel's study was.  
  
"Why do you want to know?" the elf asked curiously.  
  
"Glorfindel asked me to see him there so he could chew me out about galloping into Rivendell." I replied dismissively, starting to wonder if the location of Glorfindel's study was top-secret or something.  
  
"Oh, that was you?" the elf said with a chuckle, and I nodded. "Well, follow me then, I shall show you to his study."  
  
"No need to show me, just tell me and I'll be relatively fine." I replied, not wanting to bother the elf.  
  
"No, you will not be fine." the elf said with amusement. "His study is possibly the hardest place to find in all of Rivendell."  
  
"Well, I don't want to be a bother..." I said reluctantly.  
  
"It is no trouble." the elf said dismissively, then motioned for me to follow as he set off down the corridor. As I followed him, I realized that he had been right about me not being fine if I'd tried to get to Glorfindel's study myself. It seemed at every intersection we came across, we turned, and once we even had to go behind a wall hanging.  
  
"Geez, he really doesn't want people to find his study, does he?" I murmured after awhile, and my guide chuckled.  
  
"No, he does not. This is just the quick way, though. There is a much longer way that is somewhat easier." he said.  
  
"The 'somewhat' part of that statement scares me." I said dryly. My guide chuckled again, but then we fell into silence once more as he continued to lead me through winding corridors. It occurred to me after awhile that we were coming into a much less inhabited part of Rivendell and before I could stop it, the thought that no one would hear me scream popped into my head. I twitched, though my guide didn't notice it, as just about every horror scene that I'd ever read, watched, or heard about popped into my head.  
  
Then I smiled ruefully. Only I could be in Rivendell and be reminded of horror stories. I silently reprimanded myself. These were Elves; nice, perfect, glowing beings. The only things they harmed were their enemies, which I was not one of. At least, I hoped I was not numbered as one of Glorfindel's enemies...that was the last thing I needed, a risen-from-the-dead Balrog slayer mad at me.  
  
Before I could worry about it too much, though, my guide stopped in front of a door and announced that this was it. Without even bothering to knock, my guide opened the door and stuck his head in.  
  
"Rachel's here." he said. I momentarily wondered how he'd known my name, but then figured he'd probably heard of me. Most Elves had by now, I was sure.  
  
"Ah, thank you, Erestor." Glorfindel voice came in reply, and I started somewhat at the name. I scowled slightly at LORD Erestor, and he grinned back before waving and heading back off down the hall. Once he was gone, I tentatively pushed open the door to Glorfindel's study more, stepped inside - and gasped.  
  
Whatever I'd been expecting, it hadn't been this. Glorfindel's 'study' was more of a greenhouse. There were plants EVERYWHERE, and one entire wall of the room was glass - a substance I hadn't even known they'd had in Middle-Earth up until this point - and showed that the study was fairly high up in the valley, overlooking the majority of the buildings in Rivendell. I couldn't even see to other walls for the plants, and the roof was so far above my head I had to wonder if it even existed. There was a desk in one corner with various writing materials and other things on it, but it was carved to look like a bent over tree and fit in almost perfectly with the surroundings. Behind the desk was a large rack, holding various weapons, and that was when I noticed that the ground in the center of the 'study' was made of dirt, like it was a sparring field. Study? Oh no, this was Glorfindel's playground. And somehow that made me even more uneasy than before.  
  
"Quite a nice study, do you not think?" Glorfindel asked with amusement, pulling me out of my scrutiny of the room. I turned my attention to him where he stood leaning against a tree. I had to whack my inner teenie at that sight - he was practically smirking, leaning up against a tree and looking about ten times more sexy than normal. These Elven men were going to be the death of me with their sexiness.  
  
"I'd call it more of an indoor garden and arena, myself." I replied carefully, pushing thoughts of Glorfindel's sexiness out of my head as I remembered what I was here for. Glorfindel considered my statement for a moment, and then nodded.  
  
"I would, too. Elrond claimed I needed to have a study, however." he said.  
  
"Well then I guess this is as good as anything." I said, shifting my weight from foot to foot. This casual conversation was not what I expected, and I was beginning to think that there was another reason entirely for him calling me here. My instincts are far too good, sometimes.  
  
"Come, have a seat." Glorfindel said abruptly, pushing himself away from the tree and striding over to his desk. I looked around, but couldn't for the life of me see a chair for me to sit in. Heck, I couldn't even see one behind the desk.  
  
"Where?" I asked, giving Glorfindel a curious look. A strange gleam entering his eyes was all the warning I had before he swiftly pulled a tall stool made from a tree stump out from underneath his desk and tossed it to me. Due to reflexes developed from Kari's habit of throwing things at me when I teased her, I managed to catch the stool. I shot Glorfindel another look, wondering how he had known I would catch it - or if he knew I would catch it. His face was impassive, however, as he pulled another stool out from underneath his desk and sat on it.  
  
Shrugging, I placed the stool on the opposite side of the desk from him, so I could see all his weapons arrayed behind him, and then sat down. Glorfindel simply looked at me, his face unreadable, for a few moments, and then he casually picked up a quill and started twirling it between his fingers.  
  
"You are quite the enigma, Rachel." he said. I arched an eyebrow.  
  
"I thought I was here to be told off for riding into Rivendell at a gallop?" I asked.  
  
"Ah yes, don't do that again." Glorfindel said, his tone only mildly scolding. "It alarms and scares the guards, not to mention everybody else." Then, with a wave of his empty hand, he dismissed the topic. "So, tell me, where do you and Kari REALLY hail from?" I almost choked, but opted to gape at Glorfindel in surprise instead - less fatal. Unless a fly flew down my throat. I turned my attention back to Glorfindel as he looked as me with amusement. "I am quite old, and quite hard to fool. And considering that you came SHOOTING OUT of a river at me, I am quite sure you do not come from Eregion, unless the Elves from Eregion learned how to master the element of water?"  
  
"Shooting out of a river?!" I exclaimed. "You said you found us in a river!"  
  
"Well, I did. Sort of." Glorfindel said vaguely, waving a hand through the air. "I guess it was more like I found the river, and then you found me." I looked at him for a moment, and then shook my head in amusement, suddenly reminded of my own crazy excuses that I kept giving Kari.  
  
"Right." I said.  
  
"So, where do you hail from?" Glorfindel asked again, putting down the quill and looking at me expectantly.  
  
"Earth." I replied without hesitation. No sense in keeping up the lie if he knew it was a lie.  
  
"Earth?" Glorfindel asked with an arched eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah. It's either another world, in another universe, or a long ways in the future." I replied. "I don't want to be bothered to figure out which. All I know is there's no magic - or any thinking creature other than humans - on Earth, unlike here."  
  
"Nothing thinking creature other than humans? You and Kari must have stood out somewhat." Glorfindel said curiously. I shifted nervously, deciding I wasn't really liking this conversation. It was bound to end up with me telling him about Tolkien's books about Middle-Earth, and that was something I never, ever wanted to have to explain. Glorfindel was expecting an answer, though, so I tried to hedge as best I could.  
  
"Uhm, well, see, until Kari and I arrived here, we were...uh...we weren't exactly elves." I said.  
  
"Indeed?" Glorfindel asked, arching an eyebrow. He looked so serious, that I gave into the childish impulse that occurred to me.  
  
"Yeah. We were lizards." I deadpanned. Glorfindel shot me a withering look, and I grinned and elaborated, "Of the human variety."  
  
"And did your appearances change any when you came from this...Earth?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"Kari's didn't, no." I said, looking at Glorfindel curiously, wondering what brought on that question. "Mine did rather drastically, though."  
  
"How drastically?" Glorfindel asked, looking at me intently.  
  
"Well, I used to be several inches shorter, and had dark black hair, and darker, blue-er eyes." I replied, and much to my confusion, Glorfindel nodded as if in satisfaction. "Why do you ask?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.  
  
"Because I see double whenever I look at you." Glorfindel replied. "At least, whenever you are conscious."  
  
"WHAT?!" I exclaimed, utterly surprised. Glorfindel nodded.  
  
"I see you as a typical Lorien elf, and then there's a fuzzier side image of you as you just described yourself when on Earth." he said.  
  
"Well, that takes the fuzzy pickle." I said with a frown of thought. My mind was running a mile a minute, wondering what was going on, and trying to come up with reasons for it having happened. Unfortunately, my mind wasn't having much success.  
  
"Indeed." Glorfindel said, only looking at me slightly oddly for my strange expression. "Tell me, how did you come to Middle-Earth?" That instantly brought my mind into focus again, and I shifted uncomfortably again.  
  
"Fell in a river?" I tried, since I had rivers on my mind from his little revelation. Glorfindel arched an eyebrow, and I took a shaky breath. "Well, I can't really be sure, but...I think Kari and I were somehow transported here when we were just about to die. Or maybe we were already dead." Both of Glorfindel's eyebrows shot up.  
  
"You died?" he asked.  
  
"We may have. I don't know. I lost my hearing due to a lightning strike shortly before getting transported here, so I couldn't check easily to see if Kari was still alive before we came here." I replied with a shrug.  
  
"A lightning strike? I think you should start this tale from the beginning." Glorfindel said. I laughed slightly.  
  
"There's not much to tell. Kari and I were at home, it started raining, Kari decided to go out dancing in the rain and dragged me out with her, and lightning hit our house. The thunder from the lightning wrecked my hearing, and hurt Kari badly. So I risked running back into our house - which had been the target of the lightning strike and was now burning - and, uh," I paused, wondering how to explain a telephone, then just decided not to mention it and continued, "Contacted some people for help. The last thing I remember after that, before waking up here in Rivendell, was running towards the exit of the house."  
  
"And that's all you remember?" Glorfindel asked quietly, his eyes boring into mine as if searching for something.  
  
"Yes - no." I frowned as memories - impressions, really - surfaced that my mind told me were from that unconscious period between running out of the house and waking up in Rivendell. Almost reluctantly, I probed deeper into them, and then started talking about what I saw. "I remember - this is going to sound corny - but I remember a bright light. And a voice, talking to me. It was a...comforting voice. Soft. And slightly scary, though in a good way. I don't know what it said. I replied to it at the time, though. Can't remember what I said, either. That's it." I said. A strange looked flitted through Glorfindel's eyes as I said this, but then he shook his head and dismissed it.  
  
"Very interesting." he said.  
  
"Disturbing, actually." I said distractedly, still sorting through my newly-surfaced memories/impressions.  
  
"I'm sure. Memories of death usually are." Glorfindel said softly, a pained look in his eyes.  
  
"Hey now, I only THINK Kari and I might have died. It's just disturbing to have memories suddenly surface like that." I said. Glorfindel smiled slightly.  
  
"No, Rachel, whatever you may believe, you died." he said.  
  
"And how can you be so sure?" I retorted, suddenly angry. I wasn't scared of death - I disliked the fact that I'd have to leave the world and everyone I knew behind, but I wasn't scared of it. The thought of dieing and then coming back to life scared the shit out of me, though.  
  
"I have experience in such things." Glorfindel said dryly. I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Right, the almighty risen-from-the-dead Balrog slayer can tell from a simple description of vague memories and impressions that I died and then came back to life. Sorry buddy, doesn't cut it with me, even if you had exactly the same experience when you died." I said with a snort, and Glorfindel stiffened, his eyes narrowing. I had enough time to wonder if he was going to attack me before he spoke, his voice quiet and icy-cold.  
  
"How do you know that I have died? Very few people know that, and you should not be one of them."  
  
Shit. Didn't know I wasn't supposed to know about that. I mentally banged my head against a wall - I'd just lead the conversation in the exact direction I hadn't wanted it to take.  
  
"Uhm..." I said intelligently. My mind was just pulling a blank on a convincing lie about how I knew about him dieing. "I guessed?" I tried, smiling tentatively.  
  
"Try again." Glorfindel said, crossing his arms across his chest and looking at me sternly.  
  
"Uh...youreallcharactersinbooksbackinmyworldandireadthosebooksandsoiknowallaboutyoupeople?" I spoke quickly, but amazingly, Glorfindel seemed to have gotten it. At least, his eyes widened in something akin to shock. Maybe he was just shocked at how fast I could speak.  
  
"In books?" Nope, he caught it. I nodded hesitantly. "And what exactly do these books say about Middle-Earth?" Glorfindel asked. I hesitated, and then decided to just go for it.  
  
"They tell of the history of Middle-Earth, from the Valar's creation of it to the end of the Third Age, and some of the Fourth Age." I said. "And they're surprisingly small books for having all of that."  
  
"So...you know the future, then?" Glorfindel asked, looking at me intensely once more.  
  
"Uh, sorta. I mean, there are thousands of possible futures that could happen. I just know one. It could be the future, but then again, it could not." I said nervously, suddenly really glad I'd watched the 'Andromeda' TV show and listened to Trance's babble about thousands of possible futures.  
  
"And Kari? Has she read these books as well?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"Yes. Once. She was always more interested the mov-uh...plays." I replied, deciding it was best not to try and explain movies to Glorfindel. It still caught his attention, however, and he arched an eyebrow in interest.  
  
"Plays?" he asked.  
  
"Um, yeah, the tale of the end of the Third Age of Middle-Earth is kinda a legend back home." I said, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. Glorfindel stared at me for awhile, his expression thoughtful.  
  
"Incredible." he said finally. I snorted.  
  
"Hey, you're not the one in what you previously thought was a story." I said. "When you are, then you can talk to me about incredible."  
  
"I suppose so." Glorfindel said. "So I take it your and Kari's name's actually are Rachel and Kari?" I nodded.  
  
"Yep. We made up Elvish names for each other one day when we were bored." I said.  
  
"Mm-hm." was Glorfindel's reply. He stared at me thoughtfully for a few more moments, then shook himself and stood. "Well, this has been a most interesting afternoon, Rachel." he said.  
  
"For you." I grumbled good-naturedly, and Glorfindel smiled briefly. I absently noted that he should smile more often. It made him seem a lot younger, instead of making him look like a dreary old Elf Lord that has lived way too long and seen way too many things.  
  
"Yes indeed. Anyway. As I see there being no harm in continuing your story that you and Kari are from Eregion, I shall not tell anyone of what we spoke of this afternoon unless specifically asked about it." he said.  
  
"Thanks, you're munderful!" I said cheerfully, bouncing up from the stool. I resisted the urge to glomp onto him, however - I didn't think he'd take kindly to it. Glorfindel smiled again at my energy, and I couldn't help but smile back. Never mind I was already grinning.  
  
"It is no trouble." he said. "Now come, I believe it is time for supper." Surprised, I looked out the window and saw that the sun was indeed very low in the sky. At that reminder of the time, my stomach decided to put in its two cents and growled noisily. Glorfindel and I both looked at my stomach in amusement.  
  
"My stomach agrees with that." I announced. "Let's go." With that, I took Glorfindel's proffered arm, and we set off along the winding corridors to the dining hall.  
  
"Hey, do you mind if I call you Glory?" I asked after a pause.  
  
"'Glory'?" Glorfindel asked with an arched eyebrow.  
  
"It's better than Dely, isn't it?" I replied with a shrug and a grin. "Or Findely. That sounds like a cross between fondle and spindly." Glorfindel just looked at me for a moment, and then started laughing.  
  
Note to self: Make Elf Lords laugh more often. They are damn sexy when doing so.  
  
----To be continued...with angst!----  
(Finally)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
  
I seriously am loving all of you reviewers. Most of you are insane (like me), or at least halfway there, which makes all your reviews twice as funny.  
  
And in other news, school royally sucks. So does lack of sleep. Mainly due to school. Ugh...I'm gonna go draw pictures of Glorfindel and Rachel now. (I want a scanner...)  
  
~Crimson R. Starlight, R standing for Random 


	12. Realization

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I don't own it. If I did, I would not be wanting to go sneak into New Line Cinemas offices and watch Return of the King, finished or not. I would have already seen it. Three years ago.  
  
Rachel: Uh...filming hadn't even started then.  
  
CS: So?  
  
Glorfindel: You are far too obsessed.  
  
CS: And the fact that I write LotR FanFiction didn't tip you off to that?  
  
Glorfindel: ...  
  
Rachel: She's got a point.  
  
-12: Realization-  
  
Glorfindel and I were two of the last ones to arrive for supper, and got some quite interesting looks as we walked in together. Most of the head table seemed to be surprised, Elrond and Elladan even more so, since they knew about my supposed 'chewing out' from Glorfindel that was to have occurred that afternoon. I just smiled serenely, though, as I took my seat next to Kari.  
  
"Looks like you found your own Elf-lord." she said in an undertone to me, smirking slightly.  
  
"Nah, I just had a good chat with him about home that lasted most of the afternoon. We were both heading here after we were done talking, so we just came together." I said with a shrug.  
  
"Home? I take it you had a trying afternoon, then?" Kari asked. I looked at her for a second, wondering when she'd started using 'trying' in that context, then mentally shrugged it off as a side effect of hanging out with Elves and answered her question.  
  
"You have no idea. He knows." I said, lowering my voice to almost inaudible for the last part. "I'll tell you more about it later." Kari looked at me with part alarm and part curiosity, but nodded instead of speaking more about it. We fell silent then as the food was served, and I took the opportunity to once again observe those sitting at the head table. Elladan and Elrohir seemed to not be speaking, I noted, both studiously ignoring the other. Elrohir seemed to be too wrapped up in stealing shared glances with Kari, anyways. I shook my head at that - those two were fast becoming hopeless.  
  
I turned my attention to farther down the table, where Elrond, Celebrían, Arwen, Glorfindel and Erestor were sitting. Glorfindel and Erestor were already deep in a conversation, as were Elrond and Celebrían. Arwen, to my surprise, seemed to be doing the same thing as I - observing those at the head table. She caught my eyes as I glanced at her, and smiled slightly at me before turning to her food. I turned to my food as well, and was soon caught up in a conversation with Elladan, who wanted to know how I'd made it out of Glorfindel's 'dungeon' alive. THAT had me spinning tales enough to last the entire meal. Elladan didn't buy any of it, but he didn't stop me, either.  
  
After supper, Kari and I once again made to disappear into our rooms, but the strange combination of Glorfindel and Arwen appeared next to us before we'd gotten far.  
  
"Kari, Rachel, come, you must join us in the Hall of Fire!" Glorfindel said cheerily.  
  
"Uh, well, we were going to go rest in our rooms for a bit..." I said tentatively.  
  
"Nonsense, you have been doing nothing that requires rest." Glorfindel replied, waving off my excuse.  
  
"Hey, riding a horse is hard work!" I said defensively.  
  
"Ah yes, especially when you have races." Glorfindel said with a glint in his eyes. "Call it punishment if you will. I am not letting you go to your room for some rest before going to the Hall of Fire."  
  
"I didn't gallop into Rivendell!" Kari said defensively, frowning slightly.  
  
"Guilty by association." Glorfindel said.  
  
"Very well, Glory." I muttered. Arwen and Kari looked at me in surprise.  
  
"Glory?" Arwen asked after a moment, almost snickering. Glorfindel gave her a quelling look.  
  
"Better than Dely, I guess." Kari said with a wicked grin.  
  
"That's what I said." I replied, my grin just as big. And that prompted an explanation to Glorfindel and Arwen about deli's, which was told as we went to the Hall of Fire. Elladan and Elrohir magically appeared when we reached the Hall of Fire, and Kari was promptly stolen from our little company by Elrohir. So that left Arwen, Glorfindel, Elladan and I to watch them go with amusement.  
  
"They are getting along quite nicely." Glorfindel commented once Elrohir and Kari were gone, echoing what I'd said to Elladan earlier that day.  
  
"That they are." Arwen said with a smile.  
  
"Yes, I was telling Rachel earlier that I have not seen Elrohir this interested in a maiden for quite awhile." Elladan put in.  
  
"Mm, I rather think he has never been this interested in a maiden." Glorfindel said.  
  
"Nor has Kari ever been this interested in a male." I commented once again.  
  
"What do you think, a month?" Arwen asked, turning to her brother.  
  
"I would give it a week." Elladan replied thoughtfully.  
  
"What?" I asked curiously.  
  
"Until Elrohir realizes he is in love with Kari." Arwen replied with a smile.  
  
"I say you are both off." Glorfindel said dryly.  
  
"Oh?" Elladan asked, arching an eyebrow. "Would you happen to have some...inside information?"  
  
"Only secondhand from your father." Glorfindel said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "It seems Elrohir has been inquiring about how Lord Elrond expects his children to marry."  
  
"Oh ho, he is thinking of marriage already?" Elladan said with an arched eyebrow. Glorfindel just shrugged. I made a mental note to talk to Kari later about just how much she liked Elrohir, so I could maybe get together with Elladan and give Elrohir and Kari a shove if they needed it.  
  
"Perhaps." Glorfindel said. At that point, an Elf started up a ballad of some sort, and our small group quieted down. Glorfindel, after a moment, drifted off somewhat, and I saw him later with Erestor and Elrond, but didn't speak to him for the rest of the evening. For my part, the majority of the evening was spent listening. The music was lovely, the songs even more so, and I just went into a daze listening to most of them, which Elladan wasted no time in teasing me about. I was slightly surprised that none of the songs, or stories, were in Elvish, but brushed it off - helped in that endeavor, no doubt, by the wine that Elladan found for me. I kept a close eye on how much he was serving me, but I was still feeling distinctly giddy by the time the evening started winding to a close.  
  
Thus it was that, while I normally avoid singing in public like the plague, when Elladan and Arwen asked to hear me sing, I agreed with very little hesitation. Looking back now, I realize that that moment, when I decided to sing, was one of those moments that come so rarely in life - a moment that literally changes how the rest of your life will be lived. If I hadn't decided to sing, perhaps things would have been different. Things might not have turned out the way they did. The thing I found most annoying about that moment when I look back on it, though, is that, at the time I didn't - couldn't - even realize what effect that casual decision would have. I'm not so sure I would have made a different decision even if I had known, however. But enough philosophy.  
  
The hall quieted almost as soon as I stepped towards the little platform in the center of the room that performers stood on. I stood silent for a moment, wondering what to sing. I knew a few folk songs, but not enough of their lyrics to be able to sing them confidently. Instead, I turned to my extensive knowledge of pop and rock song lyrics. I quickly sorted through them, dismissing all ones with blatant reference to technology, and in keeping mind the fact that the evening was winding down, I picked a slow song. And as if anticipating the future, it was also a sad song. I cleared my throat once, then opened my mouth and began to sing.  
  
"Spend all your time waiting  
For that second chance  
For a break that would make it okay  
There's always one reason  
To feel not good enough  
And it's hard at the end of the day  
I need some distraction  
Oh beautiful release  
Memory seeps from my veins  
Let me be empty  
And weightless and maybe  
I'll find some peace tonight  
  
"In the arms of an angel  
Fly away from here  
From this dark cold hotel room  
And the endlessness that you fear  
You are pulled from the wreckage  
Of your silent reverie  
You're in the arms of the angel  
May you find some comfort there  
  
"So tired of the straight line  
And everywhere you turn  
There's vultures and thieves at your back  
And the storm keeps on twisting  
You keep on building the lie  
That you make up for all that you lack  
It don't make no difference  
Escaping one last time  
It's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh  
This glorious sadness that brings me to my knees  
  
"In the arms of an angel  
Fly away from here  
From this dark cold hotel room  
And the endlessness that you fear  
You are pulled from the wreckage  
Of your silent reverie  
You're in the arms of the angel  
May you find some comfort there  
You're in the arms of the angel  
May you find some comfort here" [A/N: "Arms of an Angel" Sarah McLachlan]  
  
When I finished, I opened my eyes, which I hadn't even noticed I'd closed, to find the room staring at me in silence. Appreciation was in their eyes, but also bewilderment, as they applauded my song. The drink caused me to brush off the bewilderment, at least until I stepped off the platform, flushed from the praise, to find Elrond standing with Elladan and Arwen, looking at me curiously.  
  
"That was an...amazing song, Rachel." Elladan said, with a strange twinge in his voice.  
  
"Thanks." I said cheerfully, bouncing on the balls of my feet.  
  
"Yes, amazing indeed. Tell me, what language was it in? I have never heard it before." Elrond said curiously. I looked at Elrond in surprise.  
  
"It was English - You'd call it common." I replied. I received three blank looks.  
  
"What was that?" Elrond asked, frowning slightly, as if he hadn't understood. I looked at him, confused, and wondering what on earth was going on. I suddenly wished I hadn't drunk so much, it was making my mind slow, and messing up my hearing - for a moment I could have sworn I heard Elrond talking in another language entirely - a soft, musical language, much like I'd always thought Elvish would sound like.  
  
"Rachel, are you alright?" Elladan asked as he noticed my confused look. Once again, I heard him speaking the words, and understood them, but I also heard that other language.  
  
"I - I'm fine." I stammered. "I just think I need to lie down." My voice had an odd sound to it, I noticed - the last part, at least, sounded almost like it had...an echo. I frowned.  
  
"I will show you to your room." Elrond said with concern, taking my arm and leading me out of the hall. Arwen and Elladan made as if to follow, but apparently decided to stay. Elrond and I walked in silence, though I could see him casting me concerned looks - he was in full healer mode. My mind was churning too quickly for me to care about him, however. I could have SWORN I'd heard Elrond and Elladan speaking another language, but I understood them - and I've never learned another language. A few words of French, some random Elvish, other bits and pieces of languages, Pig-Latin, and enough of a made up language of Kari's and mine to be able to confuse people by carrying on conversations with Kari in it, but that was about it. I just couldn't get a handle on speaking other languages. So how could I understand Elrond and Elladan while they were speaking a language other than English?  
  
Frowning thoughtfully, I barely noticed as we arrived at my door, absently thanking Elrond and saying goodnight. It was his response, however, that startled me out of my thoughts and made me realize what was going on. What I heard, primarily, was him saying goodnight, but the echo - the other voice, speaking in that soft language - said 'maer daw'. 'Good night' in Sindarin.  
  
"HOLY SHIT!" my exclamation made Elrond, who had been turning to walk down the hall, whip back around to face me, surprised and slightly shocked. His expression changed quickly to concern, however, as I abruptly felt the need to sit down and did so right in the doorway.  
  
"Rachel?" Elrond asked with concern.  
  
"Fuck I hope Kari's in her room." I said absently, ignoring the Elf Lord. I stood carefully and wandered into the room, barely aware that Elrond was cautiously following me. I found Kari, alright, kissing Elrohir passionately. I blinked, then, seeing they weren't aware of me, I tapped on Elrohir's shoulder. He pulled away and looked up at me in surprise. Kari, noticing who had interrupted her little make-out session, looked at me in annoyance.  
  
"What, Rachel?" she asked impatiently.  
  
"I need to talk to you." I said calmly, aware I was in a slight daze.  
  
"Can it not wait?" Kari asked, still annoyed.  
  
"Uh, no, it can't." I replied.  
  
"Fine then, talk." Kari said, pushing away from Elrohir grumpily, crossing her arms, and glaring at me.  
  
"Can we, um, talk in private?" I asked, eyeing Elrohir and Elrond, both of whom were looking very confused.  
  
"I suppose so. Why?" Kari asked impatiently.  
  
"Because." I replied, then grabbed Kari's hand and dragged her into my room. "Kari, this is going to sound weird, but what do you hear when you listen to me talking right now?" I asked when I closed the door behind me. The slight echo was back in my voice.  
  
"I hear you talking." Kari said, looking at me oddly. "Does this have a point?" I paused for a moment, concentrating, and then spoke again.  
  
"Yes, it does have a point." I said, and this time the echo was gone from my voice. Kari paused, and looked at me funny.  
  
"What was that? I didn't know you knew another language." she said.  
  
"I don't. That was English." I said calmly, the echo returned. Kari snorted.  
  
"Rachel, you've had too much to drink. Whatever you were speaking was gibberish, not English. I UNDERSTAND English, Rachel." she said. "I am speaking English right now."  
  
"No, you're speaking Elvish. Sindarin, to be precise." I said flatly. Kari looked at me for a moment, and then shook her head.  
  
"How do you manage to get drunk the one time I'm not around to see it, and then come and bug me anyways?" she said.  
  
"I AM NOT DRUNK." I practically roared, suddenly very angry at Kari. The drink probably helped with that. "I HAVE SIMPLY REALIZED THAT THE ENTIRE TIME WE HAVE BEEN IN RIVENDELL, WE HAVE BEEN SPEAKING ELVISH WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING IT!" Kari paled, and I saw that she had understood.  
  
"I...understood...that..." she said slowly, flipping between English and Elvish in the middle of her sentence.  
  
"Of course you understood it. It's English." I growled. "I don't know how, or why, but we've been speaking Elvish the entire time we've been here."  
  
"Of course." Kari murmured, her eyes wide. "We need to be able to talk to them somehow."  
  
"Because Common isn't English." I said, realization dawning on me as I absently noticed that our conversation was entirely in English now. "But how did we just suddenly know how to speak Elvish?"  
  
"Maybe...maybe it was that voice." Kari said, almost hesitantly.  
  
"What voice?" I asked curiously.  
  
"The...the one that spoke to me before we arrived in Rivendell. I can't remember what it said, but I remember light, and this voice speaking to me. And then I woke up with Glorfindel staring down at me." Kari said nervously.  
  
"I remember that, too." I said with a slight frown, not really surprised that Kari had experienced the same thing. "But...why would it give us the ability to speak Elvish, instead of just letting us learn it ourselves?"  
  
"Maybe it wanted to save us some time?" Kari asked with a frown.  
  
"Save time? Why? We're Elves now - immortal. We would have decades to learn another language." I replied.  
  
"Well then maybe that voice thingy didn't want suspicions raised about where we came from?" Kari suggested, sounding annoyed. I quickly dismissed her annoyance, however, and paled as her statement reminded me of something else.  
  
"Oh god." I said, sitting down on my bed. "Oh god, I've been so wrapped up in being in Rivendell, and you've been so wrapped up in Elrohir, that we've missed the obvious."  
  
"What's the obvious?" Kari asked curiously, sitting next to me.  
  
"Do you remember that one time you were ranting at me about bad 'Lord of the Rings' FanFictions? How you said that they usually take the male character of prime desire and stick him with a girl that's impossibly perfect? And the guy falls in love with her just as quickly as she falls in love with him, and it's so quick and sweet and cute it's sickening?" I asked.  
  
"You mean Mary-Sues?" Kari asked, and I nodded. "What about them?"  
  
"Don't you see?" I asked in a pained voice. "Elrohir's instant liking to you - Elladan's easy bonding with me - our rapid acceptance - the elves easily brushing off any of our mistakes - even my horse, dammit! We've BECOME those impossibly perfect girls! We've become Mary-Sues!" Kari stared at me for a moment, then pursed her lips and shook her head.  
  
"Rachel, we haven't become Mary-Sues. That sort of stuff only happens in parody or humour FanFiction." she said.  
  
"And girls only die and get transported to Middle-Earth in FanFictions, too!" I snapped in reply.  
  
"Yes, but just because we've been zapped to Middle-Earth and I like an Elf who just HAPPENS to like me back, doesn't mean we've become Mary-Sues!" Kari shot back, switching to Elvish halfway through her sentence.  
  
"No, it doesn't. But everything else points to it!" I snapped. "For gods sake, Kari, look at me! You know what I looked like at home! And yet here I am, blonde-haired, grey-eyed and several inches taller than normal! Not to mention the pointed ears!"  
  
"So you got turned into an Elf. Big crying shame." Kari snarled. "I thought you'd be happy. You always said you feared old age more than death, and now you'll never have to go through either!" I snorted.  
  
"Yeah, except for the fact that, oh, yeah, I DIED BEFORE COMING TO MIDDLE-EARTH!" I yelled the last part, and Kari looked at me in shock for a moment, and I realized that I'd shouted in Elvish. My head whipped towards the door, but all I heard was silence. That, in this circumstance, was a BAD thing. I pushed it aside, however, to focus on the conversation.  
  
"Don't you see, Kari? There's all these little mistakes that we've made since we've been here, but the Elves had just brushed them off! And things that would normally never happen have happened easily and regularly with us around! I mean, shit, you keep calling Eregion by its human name of Hollin, but all the Elves act as if they don't know the difference. And Glorfindel, who was looking like a storm cloud and ready to chew me out about galloping into Rivendell, merely scolded me lightly and nothing else." I said, my voice pleading as I looked at Kari. She just sighed, though, shaking her head.  
  
"Rachel, I don't know if it's the drink or some temporary insanity that's making you so adamant about this, but trust me, as one who has read many FanFictions, I tell you, we are NOT Mary-Sues! So they accepted us unusually quickly. We're Elves, are we not? And Lord Glorfindel found us. It's not a sign of Mary-Sueism if you get along with other people, Rachel." she said with a pitying smile.  
  
"I know it's not!" I said angrily. "I've told you it's not just our relations!"  
  
"Yes, I've heard. And all of your other so-called signs of us being Mary-Sues are easily explainable, as well!" Kari retorted. "So I call Hollin by the wrong name - what of it? We've supposedly traveled for four millennia, why can I not take to calling it by its new name?"  
  
"Because you supposedly grew up there!" I replied angrily. Kari sighed.  
  
"Look, Rachel, I do not want to argue about this anymore. We can talk about this tomorrow. But right now, we just need to calm down, get some sleep, and think this through." she said soothingly.  
  
"Fuck, Kari. You've become almost exactly like all the other Elves around here. No wonder you don't want to believe that we've become Mary-Sues." I snarled.  
  
"I SAY AGAIN, we both need to calm down and get some sleep. We can talk about this tomorrow!" Kari said firmly.  
  
"Alkarisil?" Elrohir's voice startled both Kari and I as it drifted through the door. "Elenlómë?" Kari and I looked at each other, and looking into her eyes, I realized then that she would never accept the truth.  
  
"Go. You want to be a Mary-Sue; you might as well enjoy it." I said bitterly. "Don't come looking to me if everything suddenly comes crashing down, though."  
  
"Rachel -" Kari started with a frown, but I held up a hand to stop her.  
  
"You may be happy with your life, Alkarisil, and I can see that at least on your side your feelings for Elrohir are no sham, but I will never be at peace until I know I can be accepted for who I am." I said softly.  
  
"What...what are you going to do, then?" Kari asked, almost fearfully.  
  
"I don't know." I said, only partially lying. A plan was slowly forming in my head, but for it to work, I couldn't tell Kari.  
  
"Uh, well, I'll speak with you tomorrow, then?" Kari asked quietly, standing up and looking at me with a torn expression. I doubt she accepted that we had turned into Mary-Sues, but she knew I had made up my mind and wasn't going to change it.  
  
"Of course." I said with a smile, standing up as well. We went to the door, but just before it, I put a hand on Kari's arm and stopped her. I knew I wanted to go through with the plan rapidly solidifying in my mind, but I didn't want to leave Kari without anyone to turn to.  
  
"Kari, if...if I'm ever not available, and you need someone to talk to, Glorfindel knows about how we truly came here, and where we came from. The basics, at least. And his study is far enough way from commonly traveled corridors that there is little risk of being overheard." I said quietly in English.  
  
"Rachel..." Kari started with a frown, but I just shook my head.  
  
"It's...just something I thought you should know." I said, then stepped away from Kari quickly and opened the door. Elrohir and Elrond were still in the room beyond, looking at the door in concern.  
  
"Alkarisil? Elenlómë? Is everything alright? We heard shouting..." Elrohir said with a frown.  
  
"Everything's fine." I said crisply. "Sorry to have worried you all, but I just remembered something disturbing about home." Elrohir and Elrond looked at me in concern, but accepted my explanation, especially when Kari backed me up with a sad look and a pat on my shoulder. She then went over to Elrohir and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Everything is fine now, truly. Both Rachel and I are quite tired, however. We would both like to get some sleep." Kari said. Elrond nodded, Elrohir echoing his father somewhat reluctantly, and then with a round of 'good night's, the two Elf-lords left. Kari and I looked at each other for a moment, and then turned and disappeared into our respective rooms.  
  
----To be continued...with, um, stuff----  
(Honestly, just about anything I could say about the next chapter would give the next little plot twist away...)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
  
In celebration for the RotK trailer coming out...another chapter! Whoo! Now I'm off to watch the trailer...again...  
  
~Crimson Starlight  
  
Ooo, almost forgot! Thank you to all my reviewers, especially the insane ones! (you know who you are) Now all of you who are reading this, REVIEW! And I promise I'll finish betaing your story soon, Duke Storm... . 


	13. Leaving

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: *singing* I own nothing nothing, I own nothing all day long, I own absolutely nothing now you know my nothing song!  
  
Glorfindel: That was surprisingly good.  
  
CS: Eh, learned it from a friend. Probably got the lyrics wrong, too.  
  
Glorfindel: Can't you just take a compliment?  
  
CS: Not from you, no...  
  
Glorfindel: Why not?  
  
CS: Because you're a fictional character who I am currently controlling. Ergo, any compliment you give me is basically like me complimenting myself, and I am quite sure that isn't too good for ones mental health.  
  
Glorfindel: ...  
  
Rachel: Just nod and agree.  
  
Glorfindel: *nods and agrees*  
  
-13: Leaving-  
  
I didn't go to sleep when I went to my room. In fact, I didn't do anything even close to sleeping. Instead, I changed into the still-dirty pair of trousers and tunic that I had 'borrowed' from Elladan. I rolled up the dress I'd just changed out of, then dug around in the wardrobe until I found something closely resembling a scarf and wrapped it around my head, hiding the tips of my ears. Glancing in the mirror, I was satisfied that no one without special knowledge of Elvish features was going to know for sure that I was an Elf unless I told them, and then I quietly went out into the main room. Careful not to make a noise to disturb Kari, I pulled out the writing materials that I'd used earlier that day and pulled a new sheet of parchment towards me. Pausing in thought, I hesitated only a few moments before writing down a note - in runes, and in the language Kari and I had made up. I smiled as I wrote it, then when finished, I put it upside down on the table and took a last look around the room before slipping out into the halls.  
  
I hesitated once I was out in the hall, not entirely sure of where to go, but then I caught a whiff of food, and I used Gandalf's advice to Merry and followed my nose down to the kitchen. Once there, I was delighted to find it empty, the cook's all retired for the night, and I snooped around for only a short while before finding a collection of buns - freshly baked, too. I grabbed a nearby cloth that was presumably a drying towel and wrapped several buns in it, careful not to take too much, lest the absence be noted. I then searched around for some dried meats, fruits, and maybe some cheese. Surprisingly, I found all three objects, and snitched as much as I dared. Finally, I grabbed a few fresh fruits that were sitting on one of the counters, and left the kitchen for the halls of Rivendell.  
  
Somehow, by the miracle of determination, I managed to find my way out of the buildings of Rivendell and onto the actual grounds. I was pleased to discover that the moon had set, and there was light cloud cover, so the night was just about as dark as you could wish for. Satisfied that my plan was going along nicely, I followed the roads and paths until I came to the paddock where I had left Liltalen earlier that day. I approached the fence and whistled quietly to Liltalen, only mildly surprised when he came right away.  
  
"Hey boy." I said softly, patting his nose. He nickered at me, nudging my shoulder, and I smiled. "Listen, I need you to do me a big favour, Liltalen. I need you to jump the fence." Liltalen showed no sign of understanding, but he looked at me curiously as I moved away from the fence, beckoning for him to follow. He looked down at the fence, then up at me in annoyance. I beckoned for him to come again. He looked at the fence again and snorted.  
  
"Come on, Liltalen, the fence isn't THAT high. It should be no problem for you to just jump over it!" I said. Liltalen snorted again, then turned and disappeared into the darkness. I hesitated, then cautiously moved back to the fence and peered into the field, unable to spot Liltalen even with my new Elvish vision. Then, out in the field, I heard the sound of a horse galloping, and Liltalen entered my vision again. I barely had time to move out of the way before he leaped over the fence and landed smoothly on the other side. Snorting and tossing his head, he trotted over to me.  
  
"Good boy!" I said cheerfully, and realizing one of the fruits I'd snagged from the kitchen was an apple, I handed it to him in thanks. When he was done munching on the apple, I headed off towards the stables, Liltalen following. It wasn't until I reached the stables and saw a light on inside that I realized what a problem getting tack for Liltalen really was going to be - apparently there was always a stable hand up, to receive visitors no matter the hour, and Rivendell had little tack, so any that went missing would be immediately missed. I hesitated, then looked at Liltalen and shrugged.  
  
"Hey, if I'm going to be a Mary-Sue, I might as well put it to good use and ride you bareback." I said softly to him. Liltalen nuzzled me, and I smiled as I turned towards the entrance to Rivendell.  
  
There were guards standing at the gates, looking alert, but as I crept closer, I realized with a stifled giggle that the guard's eyes were glazed over in Elvish sleep. I grinned. Some things are universal. Beckoning for Liltalen to follow, I made a swift dash out of the gates, and the stallion trotted along surprisingly noiselessly behind me. No voice called out to me when I reached other side of the gates, and I smiled happily in relief.  
  
I turned my attention to the bridge that was now in front of me, my way out of Rivendell. I stepped onto it and made it to the middle quickly, then stopped and unrolled the dress I had brought with me. It really was a nice dress I mused as I looked at it. It was a shame to ruin it. But it couldn't be helped.  
  
Carefully and as quietly as I could, I tore some small bits of cloth off the dress and dropped them on top of rocks or in slow moving side pools of the river. Not enough to make it look like my dress had been shredded, but a good amount. Then I tore a few other strips off the dress, and dropped what remained of the dress into a swift-moving part of the stream.  
  
I finished crossing the bridge, then, and followed the path beyond it up out of the valley. I then left the path and walked north - upstream from the bridge - along the top edge of the valley, until I reached a section where it was almost a sheer drop down to the river that I'd dropped my dress into. Peering over the edge, I dropped the few remaining pieces of my dress over, and was satisfied to see at least one piece snag on a branch on the way down. Now came the hard part.  
  
I whistled to Liltalen, calling him over, and, while standing on the very edge of the cliff, I mounted Liltalen - backwards. Not in the sense that I was now sitting on him backwards, but where you normally mount a horse while facing it, I left my back to the stallion and reached behind me to grab his mane and get a good grip on his back, then made the biggest jump I'd ever made, and pulled myself onto his back. I grinned wickedly down as where my footprints - facing the cliff - were now visible in the sparse dirt covering the rock of the cliff. Then I wound my hands tightly into Liltalen's mane, and kicked him into a gallop, heading west, towards Bree, or whatever other town I might find.  
  
---  
  
Kari woke slowly the next morning, grumpy and unhappy. She, for the first time since arriving in Rivendell, had had nightmares last night. Most of them involved pain and death of some sort, not too mention creepy journeys in the dark. Her mood was not improved any by the remembrance of her and Rachel's fight the night before, and it was with great reluctance that she pulled herself out of bed and got dressed, heading for the main room where Rachel was sure to be if she was awake.  
  
Rachel was, however, nowhere to be found. Instead, there was a sheet of parchment resting on the table, and the writing supplies sitting nearby, as if someone was preparing to write something. Curious, Kari wandered over to the table and casually picked up the paper, wondering if Rachel had left another note. It was blank, though. Wondering if Rachel had decided to make it a little harder on her, Kari sniffed the paper to see if Rachel had written in lemon juice - the poor mans invisible ink. There was nothing, however - except a strong smell of ink. Curious, Kari turned the parchment over, and blinked in surprise as she looked at the runes on the other side.  
  
Well. Kari didn't read runes - and neither did Rachel - so why was this here? Now intrigued, Kari determined that the best course of action was to find someone who COULD read runes and have them translate the message for her. So she set out of the room and headed for Elrohir's room, figuring that was the best place to start. She met Elrohir halfway there, and handed him the note, explaining that she didn't read runes and asking him what it said. Elrohir frowned as he took the note, scanning it quickly.  
  
"This is gibberish." he said finally. "Those runes that I can read make no sense."  
  
"Really?" Kari asked, peering at the note. "Might it be some form of runes you don't know?"  
  
"Possibly." Elrohir said with a frown. "Maybe father will be able to read them." With that, the two set off for Elrond's study. Elrond was there when they arrived, and they quickly explained about the strange note and how neither Elrohir nor Kari understood any of it. Elrond frowned lightly and took the note, scanning in carefully.  
  
"I agree, Elrohir, it is gibberish." he said after awhile, frowning thoughtfully. "But it is familiar gibberish."  
  
"Oh? You have seen these runes before?" Elrohir asked curiously. Elrond nodded, putting the note down.  
  
"Once, a long time ago. Your mother and I were out riding in the woods one time and we stopped for a rest - stop snickering. When we went to go again, we spotted some paper on the ground, and when we picked it up, we found strange runes written on it." he said. "I believe I have the paper somewhere around here..." Elrond started rifling through one of his drawers, and after several minutes, pulled out a piece of paper with a triumphant smile. "Ah, here it is." Kari paled as she saw the paper. It had quite obviously been torn out of a notebook, and the writing on it - the runes - were very familiar. Suddenly, a memory surfaced in Kari's mind, and she realized where the runes were from.  
  
"Damn my memories slow!" Kari suddenly complained.  
  
"What?" Elrohir asked curiously, looking at Kari, but she'd already picked up her note again and was studying it.  
  
"I thought so. I DO know these runes. Rachel and I got really bored one time while we were traveling and decided to make up our own language." Kari said. "These are the runes we made up to write the language out."  
  
"You made up your own language." Elrond said flatly, eyebrows raised.  
  
"Very bored, slightly insane." Kari said with a roll of her eyes. "This first word is 'faw', and after that is...'shi mai'. Then 'sayza baek dafum', and it's signed 'Paerrul Ssao'."  
  
"So...what does that mean?" Elrohir asked.  
  
"I have no idea." Kari said with a frown. "I've forgotten most of the language; I haven't used it in so long. 'Sayza' means friend, though. And since this is Rachel and my's language, and 'paerrul' means night, I'd wager that 'Paerrul Ssao' is 'Night Star'. Baek and mai seem very familiar, too..."  
  
"Perhaps looking at this other paper would help you translate the rest?" Elrond asked, holding out the other sheet of writing to Kari.  
  
"Hmm, possibly. Let's see..." Kari pulled an empty sheet of parchment towards her, snagged Elrond's quill, and started translating, saying the words out loud as she went. "Hatr...fssarr'l beil...moet Elven-Glorf'l..." Kari stopped suddenly, her eyes going wide as she realized suddenly what she was translating.  
  
"What is it?" Elrohir asked.  
  
"I don't need to translate any more of this." she said softly.  
  
"Oh, have you remembered more about your language?" Elrond asked curiously.  
  
"No, but I know what this says." Kari replied.  
  
"What does it say?" Elrond asked, ever curious. Kari hesitated for a moment, then closed her eyes and recited from memory,  
  
"Three rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,  
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,  
Nine for mortal men doomed to die,  
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne  
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.  
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,  
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them  
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.  
  
"Rachel and I translated that into our language a long time ago. How you and Lady Celebrían came across it is beyond me, however." Kari finished softly. Elrond and Elrohir just looked at Kari, dumbfounded.  
  
"The prophecy of the ring? How on Arda did the two of you hear of that in your travels?" Elrond asked.  
  
"It matters not." Kari said dismissively, turning back to the note. "The point is, that has refreshed my memory enough that I can translate some of this note...'Something, something, not, friend of mine. Night Star.' Shi...Shi...Me! 'Something me not, friend of mine.'" Kari frowned thoughtfully, drumming her fingers on Elrond's desk as she tried to remember the last word. "'Faw' must have been one of the later words we made. I can remember making it, but never using it, or what it means..." At that point, any further thought was interrupted by the door slamming open and Elladan dashing in, his face pale.  
  
"Elladan? What is the matter?" Elrond asked, worried, rising from behind his desk.  
  
"It's...Liltalen. Rachel's stallion. He got out during the night." Elladan said, gasping for breath.  
  
"So? Go catch him." Elrohir said, annoyed.  
  
"I was going to do just that, but when I followed his tracks, I ended out on top of the bridge, and..." Elladan paused, and then slowly held out his right hand, which was wrapped tightly around something. "I saw this in the water." Curious, Elrond held out his hand, and Elladan dropped what he was holding into his father's hand. Elrond's eyebrows shot up as he looked at what he was holding.  
  
"A piece of fabric?" he asked.  
  
"A piece of a dress. The dress Rachel was wearing last night." Elladan said softly. Everyone in the room stared at Elladan in shock.  
  
"You must be mistaken, Elladan." Elrohir said after a while. "You can't be sure that this is a piece of Rachel's dress. What on Arda would it be doing in the river?"  
  
"There are cliffs north of Rivendell." Elladan said quietly, remembering Rachel's comment to Elrohir the day before when she had told him she didn't care about being proper.  
  
"Forget." Kari said suddenly, her eyes wide as saucers. Everyone looked at her. "'Faw' means forget. Rachel's note reads 'forget me not, friend of mine.'" Silence reigned.  
  
"Let us go to the bridge and see what more we can find before we...assume anything." Elrond said, carefully avoiding saying the word 'jump'. The other three elves in the room nodded, all looking slightly dazed. Seeing none of them were about to lead the way, Elrond took the lead and strode out of his study, his sons and Kari following quietly and quickly behind. On his way down the hallway, Elrond spotted a familiar head of golden hair disappearing around a corner in front of him, and he called out to its owner.  
  
"Glorfindel!" The Elf-lord's head appeared around the corner, and he looked at Elrond curiously.  
  
"Yes Lord Elrond?" he asked.  
  
"Come." Elrond commanded. Glorfindel looked at those already following Elrond, shrugged, and headed over and fell into step with the Lord of Rivendell.  
  
"What is going on?" Glorfindel asked curiously. "Your three lost puppies look like they've seen a death."  
  
"They haven't, though the quite possibly could have seen the evidence of one." Elrond replied briskly.  
  
"What?!" Glorfindel exclaimed in surprise.  
  
"Kari found a note in her room this morning from Rachel reading 'forget me not, friend of mine'. When Elladan went to see Narore this morning before breakfast like he usually does, he discovered that Liltalen was missing. He went to track down the stallion, and found a piece of the dress Rachel was wearing last night in the river." Elrond explained. Glorfindel paled.  
  
"What would part of her dress be doing in the river?" the Elf-lord asked, unwilling to make the obvious connections.  
  
"As Elladan pointed out, there are cliffs north of here." Elrond said softly, so that the three behind him couldn't hear. "And Rachel seemed quite disturbed about something last night - I walked her back to her room, and she ended out having a fight with Kari, I believe. When Elrohir and I left, Kari and Rachel said that they were fine, but I think that was only true for Kari."  
  
"Rachel would not, though...I mean..." Glorfindel was looking very disturbed at what all this was pointing to, and Elrond felt sorry for the Elf. Glorfindel and Rachel seemed to have been getting along wonderfully yesterday - Arwen had even told him that Glorfindel had let Rachel shorten his name to 'Glory', something he hadn't heard of anyone being able to do - and if this all truly led to the obvious conclusion, it would be a hard blow to Glorfindel. He had never handled death easily since returning from his own death. Elrond suddenly regretted calling out to Glorfindel, but then realized that he would have found out sooner or later.  
  
"The west bridge." Elladan said, speaking for the first time since the study to direct his father towards where he'd found the fabric as they stepped outside. Nodding, Elrond headed in the direction of the bridge, and they soon reached it. Looking down into the river, Elrond spotted another strip of fabric on a rock in the center of the water and sighed.  
  
"See if you can find her horses tracks on the other side of the bridge." he said. Elladan, Elrohir and Glorfindel nodded, and all three quickly set to work.  
  
"Here they are." Elladan said, recognizing the hoof prints from earlier. With the prints identified, the three trackers followed them quickly into the forest and north along the cliffs. So intent were they on their task, they barely noticed where they were going - Elrond and Kari did, though. Straight towards the cliffs. And, suddenly, all three tracking Elves stopped, staring at a point on the ground not far from the cliffs.  
  
"What is it?" Kari asked nervously.  
  
"Footprints." Elrohir choked out. "Somebody jumped from here." And with that announcement, Kari did the only sensible thing she could do - she fainted.  
  
----To be continued...with 42.87% more prancing ponies!----  
(And tiredness...guh, stupid tiredness)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
  
Yes, alright, the language thingy wasn't really needed and just makes a corny and Mary-Sue addition to the plot. But I've been wanting to put that language into a story or fanfic for...a long time. And if you're wondering, yes, the language is actually real. My friend and I made/are making it up. (the dictionary's currently 6 pages long...)  
  
Anywho, I apologize for the long time between updates, I really have no excuse except laziness. And schoolwork. But schoolwork isn't really an excuse. (mostly because I use everything else as an excuse to get away from doing schoolwork)  
  
Once again, thank-you to all my lovely reviewers. You all get cookies made by Glorfindel. Your choice whether you want to risk eating them or not...Especially if you're also an Aragorn fan, since Arwen helped him bake them.  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	14. Bree

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Glorfindel: Crimson Starlight is currently running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get ready for her mothers birthday, so she's left the disclaimer to me and Rachel.  
  
Rachel: I really don't know why. I mean, she wrote the chapter, how can she not have the extra minute or so to write a disclaimer?  
  
Glorfindel: Maybe she used up all her spare time writing the chapter?  
  
Rachel: Hm, good point...  
  
Glorfindel: Of course it's a good point. I always have good points. It's why I'm an Elf-lord.  
  
Rachel: Really?  
  
CS: *poking her head in* Nah, it's because he's sexy. *disappears again*  
  
Rachel: Can I disagree with that?  
  
Glorfindel: Shut up you. *bops Rachel*  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
Rachel: Why are you all still here?  
  
Glorfindel: Yeah, shoo!  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
Rachel: Oooo, we forgot the disclaimer, didn't we?  
  
Glorfindel: Crimson Starlight owns absolutely nothing, least of all me.  
  
Rachel: She does own me, though. And Kari. And, come to think of it, most of the original characters in this chapter...  
  
Glorfindel: None of the setting, though.  
  
Rachel: Nope, none of that.  
  
Glorfindel: Now we're done the disclaimer, so shoo. You are all making me nervous staring and drooling like that.  
  
Rachel: *snigger*  
  
-14: Bree-  
  
I felt bad about leaving Rivendell the way I had, making everyone think I was dead. But to tell the truth, I had a feeling that it was the only way I would be able to get away from what I'd dubbed the 'Mary-Sue Factor'. I needed to sever all connections with the Elves and Kari, and start a life of my own choosing. I'd always said that if I could ever go to Middle-Earth, more than anything I'd just want to wander around and look at all the various cultures. Now I had the opportunity to do so, and more than that, I was an immortal elf, so I could literally spend hundreds of years studying various cultures. I wouldn't be able to go near the Elvish lands, of course - too much risk of running into someone from Rivendell who recognized me. That risk was lessened to just Glorfindel or Kari, however, after my first day out of Rivendell.  
  
I road hard throughout the night, and stopped only at noon the next day. I hadn't eaten since I'd left, but even though I was hungry, I ate my rations sparingly. I only had a little knowledge of edible wild plants in Middle-Earth - gleaned from the book on survival I'd been reading, which had, thank goodness, started with edible wild plants - and I couldn't have hunted even if I'd had a weapon with me, so my provisions needed to last as long as possible.  
  
After eating and having a small drink from a nearby stream, I decided to take a short nap before continuing - I felt strangely tired, and it would be best to keep up my strength. There was no worry of pursuit, anyways, if I'd done my job right and if the Mary-Sue Factor was working in my favour. Those were two very big 'if's, I knew, considering I hadn't done anything like faking my own death before, and nobody can predict the Mary-Sue Factor. I was tired, though, and so it made sense to me.  
  
Not surprisingly, when I woke next, the sun was setting - I remember thinking what typical Mary-Sue I was, sleeping longer than intended so I could get in trouble and be rescued by the big, handsome hero. Fortunately, however, only the part about oversleeping was correct. Standing up, I surveyed the land near to me and found Liltalen, who had apparently decided that I was going to stay here awhile, flopped down on his side, sleeping. I shook my head at him, smiling slightly, and then made for the stream again to get a drink before rousing the stallion and continuing on my way.  
  
It wasn't until I had roused Liltalen and tried to mount him that I realized anything was different. It became glaringly obvious to me, however, when I found that I had apparently shrunk several inches - and Liltalen was almost unmountable by me at this height. Curious, I went back to the stream and looked down at my reflection in it. What I saw made my BLUE eyes light up - my appearance had returned to normal! I was black haired, blue eyed, tan skinned and short. Ok, so that last one wasn't really all that good, but still, I looked like myself again.  
  
Lifting up my makeshift head scarf I discovered, however, that my ears were still pointed. I was still an Elf. I frowned, but shrugged, too happy over my change of appearance to be very concerned about that. Who would complain about being an Elf, anyways? Happily, I skipped back to Liltalen, where I had to lead him to a rock before I could mount him. Then I found the road again and followed it west.  
  
My happiness at my appearance returning to normal, however, soon faded, and I started wondering WHY my appearance had returned to normal. I had a theory that maybe it was because I was away from the Elves, and the Mary-Sue Factor was weakening, thus letting me revert to my normal, non-perfect looks. This got me wondering about the Mary-Sue Factor's origins, and why Kari and I had been brought to Middle-Earth, and soon my mind was spinning wild tales involving Valar and other Gods, magic, wizards, Istari and Maia, and just about every other incredible thing you could think of, up to, and including, warp travel gone wrong. (Don't ask)  
  
Anyways. I probably, sometime during the course of my speculation, chanced across at least part of the actual answers to why I was in Middle-Earth and why Kari and I had been made Mary-Sues. All I know is that for the next few weeks as I traveled along the deserted road from Rivendell to Bree, I had a creative hay day. If I'd had anything to write down even half the ideas I came up with on that trip, I'm sure I could have made a fortune selling them to other authors back home.  
  
Surprisingly to me, it actually took me less time than Aragorn, Frodo and company to get between Rivendell and Bree. I realized when I camped at Weathertop, of course, that the reason I was going faster was that I was riding a horse, instead of traveling on foot. That probably meant that I could get to Bree within a day or two, I decided as I sat in the ruins of the watch tower of Amon Sûl.  
  
That also meant that I should start figuring out what I was going to do when I got to Bree. It was all very fine and dandy to talk about running off and surviving by myself, but I had very few survival skills to speak of, which meant I'd have to buy things to feed myself. In other words, I needed some currency. Which lead the logical conclusion of deciding to look for a job once I got to Bree. I wasn't entirely unskilled in making things from scratch, and I could cook fairly well when given a recipe. This all hinged, of course, on whether or not the Mary-Sue Factor would enable me to understand and speak Common. That was about the only good thing about the Mary-Sue Factor, in fact - I could now speak other languages.  
  
I reached Bree in the afternoon of the second day after camping on Weathertop, and I'm pretty sure I had to have been the worst looking Elf to have ever be seen in that town, though my ears were covered so nobody could tell I was an Elf. Liltalen had grown shaggy and dirty over the journey, as well, so you could tell that he was a very BIG black horse, but that was it. Still, I noted with amusement as I looked around at the other inhabitants of Bree, Liltalen and I were, sadly, probably the cleanest creatures I saw. Both physical and in thoughts. By the time I'd reached what looked like a more savory part of town, I'd been leered at multiple times, and ignored several lewd suggestions from passing men.  
  
Don't get me wrong, Bree wasn't a horrible place or anything, it was just terribly primitive and dirty compared to the Elves, let alone what I was used to in the modern world. I suppose it actually wasn't that bad for a medieval-technology-level town, especially once you got up into the more mixed part of the buildings, where both hobbits and men frequented.  
  
The hobbits that I saw, of course, were quite something else. I hadn't thought they'd be that short - every single one that I saw could have literally walked right under Liltalen's stomach. One did, in fact, when it got a little crowded and the place he wanted to go was on the other side. Liltalen looked a little startled at that, but the hobbit just patted the stallion on the shoulder and gave me a smile before continuing on his way.  
  
It was getting dark by the time I decided that I needed to stop gaping and start looking for a place to stay for the night, and, since I had no money to pay for even one night's board, that also meant a place to work. That made things infinitely harder. I went from shop to shop, coming in and chatting up the owner for awhile to make sure they were nice people who I might want to work for before I asked them if they needed any help. Out of an entire dozen shops, though, only half of them I would care to work at, and none of them needed help.  
  
Several of them, however, being the friendly people that they were, had mentioned other shops that they'd heard were looking for help, but it was getting late, and the majority of the shops were closed now. One thing all the shop keepers had agreed on, though, was that many of the Inns needed help and would be glad to take me on and house and feed me until I found my footing. After all, why not? It was like having a customer that did everything themselves, and more besides.  
  
I wasn't too sure about the working in an Inn idea, but since it was late and I didn't want to go back out of the city to sleep in the wilderness, and the smells of good food were driving me nuts, I sighed and headed for the nearest Inn. And, as chance - or the Mary-Sue Factor - would have it, the nearest Inn was the Prancing Pony. I smiled ruefully as I noticed the sign, then shook my head and stepped inside. The owner - an ancestor of Barliman's, probably - appeared almost instantly when I stepped in, asking me what he could do for me.  
  
"Actually, I was wondering if you could use some help for an evening or two, good sir." I said in response. "I've just recently arrived in town, and I have no money to my name." The Innkeeper looked at me appraisingly for a few moments, and then nodded.  
  
"We are a little short on servers." he said. "If ya help out tonight and tomorrow, I'll feed ya and give ya a place to sleep, and some coins beside if you work hard."  
  
"Thank you." I said with a smile, and then frowned lightly as I remembered Liltalen. "I do have a horse. Will it be any trouble to house him, as well?" The Innkeeper looked at me in surprise, probably wondering why I didn't just sell my horse to get some money - like Liltalen would let me sell him even if I wanted to - but in the end, he shrugged.  
  
"It will cut down on the coin I'll be givin' you at the end, but no, it's not a problem." he said.  
  
"I wasn't even expecting to get any money, so it's fine by me." I said ruefully. The Innkeeper smiled.  
  
"Very well then, we have an agreement, Mister...?"  
  
"Miss Rachel." I supplied and corrected with a grin as I realized that the Innkeeper thought I was a boy. I supposed my headscarf could be mistaken for a bandana, and if you're not expecting to see and woman in men's clothing, then if would be easy to overlook. The Innkeeper looked slightly surprised, then peered at me and nodded.  
  
"Very good, Miss Rachel. I'm Bartholomew Marsanon." The Innkeeper said. "Come to the kitchens with me and I'll introduce ya to my wife Halena, and she can tell you what to do and set you to work." I nodded and followed Bartholomew as he set off for the kitchens. The temperature, as well at the smell, rose exponentially when we entered the kitchen, and my mouth started watering quickly. The heat I brushed off, used to worse on the Australian outback, and instead I eyed some freshly cooked meat hungrily. Bartholomew noticed my glance, and after a moments pause, went and found a slice of meat and put it on a piece of bread before handing it to me.  
  
"Here, that'll last while Halena tells you what to do." he said. "Ya can have more when then evenin's done." I nodded my thanks, my mouth already full of the meat and bread. Right then, that was the best food I'd ever tasted. Bartholomew smiled with amusement, and then called out to one of the main cooks in the kitchen. She scurried over, and Bartholomew introduced me to her, revealing that this woman was Halena. Bartholomew then disappeared out of the kitchen with a reassurance that he would get my horse taken care of, and I was left alone with Halena, who was looking at me appraisingly.  
  
"Serving, eh?" she said after awhile. "Well, we can't have you serving in men's clothing." I smiled sheepishly, having finished my bread and meat. "I suppose you don't have a dress you could change into?"  
  
"No ma'am." I said politely, and Halena gave an exaggerated sigh.  
  
"Jeanai!" she called, and instantly a younger cook scurried over. Judging from her close resemblance to Halena, I figured she had to be related to the woman somehow.  
  
"Yes Ma?" Jeanai asked. Am I good or am I good? Mother and daughter.  
  
"This here's Rachel, she's gonna be here for a few nights servin'. I need you to take her and go find her a dress." Halena said. Jeanai nodded, and Halena instantly turned her attention back to what she'd been doing before Bartholomew had brought me in. Jeanai looked at me for a moment, then wordlessly motioned for me to follow her and led me out of the kitchen and down a hallway until we came to a set of doors. Pausing, Jeanai pulled a key out of somewhere and unlocked the door, then pushed it open and stepped inside. Following her, I realized that this must be where the Marsanon family lived - it certainly looked like a more permanent living space than I would imagine any Inn room looking like.  
  
"See which one of these fits." Jeanai said softly, speaking for the first time as she held out some dresses that she'd gathered.  
  
"Where can I change?" I asked, taking the dresses from her carefully. Jeanai nodded to a screen in the room, and I disappeared behind it with the dresses. I tried on all the dresses, but only two fit, and one was far too low cut for my comfort. The other dress that fit was plain, a dark green colour with very little decoration, and still showed a good deal more cleavage than I would have liked. All the dresses seemed to have been cut that low or lower, however, so I just accepted it. Fortunately, I had taken every opportunity - aka, stream - I had come across to wash myself on the journey to Bree, so I didn't look too incredibly dirty in the dress. Jeanai seemed not to notice, however.  
  
"Ai, you looked wonderful!" Jeanai exclaimed happily when I emerged wearing the dress.  
  
"I do?" I asked dubiously, looking down at myself. Jeanai nodded happily, smiling, as she took the dresses that didn't fit from me.  
  
"You look even better in it than Elena did, and it was custom tailored for her!" Jeanai said, then turned back to me and eyed the dirty trousers and tunic I was holding. Noticing her glance, I held the dirty clothes a little closer.  
  
"Could these be washed so I can keep them? They're...rather special to me." I said, suddenly realizing that I wanted to hang onto at least something of Rivendell - besides Liltalen. Jeanai looked at me strangely, and then nodded.  
  
"Of course. Come, we shall put them in with the rest of the laundry to be done tomorrow, and then return to the kitchen." Jeanai said. I nodded, then followed her once again as we left the Marsanon family's rooms. Jeanai led me through some more halls, and down a flight of stairs, then turned and took my dirty clothes from me and dumped them unceremoniously into a basket full of other dirty laundry.  
  
"I am not too sure how clean they shall be gotten, but we shall try our best." Jeanai said with a reassuring smile. I smiled back, secretly trusting in Elvish handiwork to surprise even the cleaners. Then Jeanai was leading me back through the halls to the kitchen, and Halena appeared again, sending Jeanai on her way and giving me another appraising look.  
  
"It looks good on you. But the scarf should go." she said, and reached for my headscarf that I had left on.  
  
"Scarf stays." I said, clapping a hand down on top of my head and thinking fast. "Otherwise you get to see the results of what happens when you try and cut your own hair with a dull knife." Halena blinked, and then chuckled.  
  
"Very well. We shall get you a matching one for tomorrow night, however." she said. I nodded, happy to be allowed to keep the scarf. With that decided, Halena got down to business, showing me quickly and efficiently how to carrying trays and dishes out into the main room, then explaining how they figured out what order went to what table. It was surprisingly like a modern day restaurant - each of the tables had been given names, and each server was assigned a certain set of tables to serve. If needed, they could always tell anther server the table name for an order, and that server could take it there without trouble. It was terribly organized for such a small place.  
  
But then, I realized as I set to work, it was also terribly busy. It seemed every time I left the kitchen, someone had left and someone new had arrived - the clientele was constantly changing. Thankfully, however, the clientele remained fairly respectable, and I only had three men come on to me, and a dozen or so lewd remarks. I did, however, lose track of the number of times my rump was pinched. It was apparently a common occurrence, my only other fellow server, a young woman named Marli, told me. About halfway through the evening I realized she was right, and stopped shooting annoyed looks at the offending patrons.  
  
It was close to midnight by the time the last person left the Inn or found their way up to their room, and then Halena gathered all the kitchen help - a solid five in number - and the servers - all two of us - together. She handed out some coins to four of the kitchen helpers, and to Marli, then made shooing motions with her hands, telling them to get themselves home. They did, and that left Jeanai and I.  
  
"Now then. Bartholomew told me ya were rather hungry when you came in t'night, Rachel." Halena said, turning to me. "Help yourself to whatever's left in the kitchen, and then Jeanai will show you to where you can sleep." I smiled thankfully, feeling entirely too tired to speak. At that point, Bartholomew himself appeared in the kitchen and came over.  
  
"Wonderful job tonight, Miss Rachel." he said cheerfully. "But if you don't mind, before you do anything else, could you go convince your horse to follow Gartan to the stables? He's been trying to coax the poor beast in there all evenin', with little luck." I groaned.  
  
"Sorry, I should have remembered how stubborn Liltalen is." I said, heading for the front door. I paused, however, when I felt three pairs of eyes on my back. I turned back to the Marsanon family and looked at them curiously.  
  
"Yer horse has an Elvish name?" Bartholomew asked, almost nervously. I nodded, and then started inwardly smacking myself as the three family members shared looks of fear and worry - they probably thought I'd stolen him. I had, in a way, but they didn't need to know that.  
  
"He's actually called Star Dancer, though." I said quickly, pulling the lie off the top of my head. "Liltalen is just the Elvish translation that I learned from someone I met on my journey here." The three seemed to relax after that, and Bartholomew and Halena bid us goodnight before disappearing off along the hallway Jeanai had taken me along earlier. With a glance at Jeanai, I slipped out of the Inn and found Liltalen stubbornly standing where I'd left him, ignoring the apple that a boy - presumably Gartan - was holding out to him enticingly.  
  
"Liltalen!" I called sharply, and instantly the stallion's head shot towards me. "Obey him." I said sternly, and Liltalen snorted once before meandering over to Gartan and snatching the apple from his hand. "If he gives you any trouble, tell me and I'll deal with him." I said to the surprised boy. Gartan nodded, and I went back inside the Inn as my stomach growled. Jeanai was waiting for me, and bolted the Inn door behind me. Then we returned to the kitchen, where I started digging in to the food. Jeanai, probably more out of politeness than anything else, nibbled a bit on an apple, watching me curiously. Finally, when I'd slowed down, she spoke.  
  
"Who did you meet on the road that could speak Elvish?" she asked.  
  
"An Elf." I replied promptly, and Jeanai's eyes went wide.  
  
"You met an Elf?" she asked, her voice hushed and excited. "A real, live Elf?" I smiled and nodded. "What did they look like?"  
  
"Like you or I, only much taller and graceful. And they glow." I said.  
  
"They glow?" Jeanai asked dumbly. I nodded.  
  
"Apparently they tend to do so when the starlight shines on them." I said.  
  
"Wow." Jeanai said. I smiled again.  
  
"My thoughts exactly." I said.  
  
"So where did you travel from, that you met an Elf on the road?" Jeanai asked.  
  
"A town in the east, over the Misty Mountains." I replied vaguely, hoping to avoid having to tell any specifics.  
  
"Really?! You came over the mountains?" Jeanai asked, excited once again. I nodded.  
  
"Aye, I did." I said. A yawn suddenly escaped me, and Jeanai blushed abruptly.  
  
"I'm sorry, you must be tired." she said.  
  
"Oh, I don't mind the questions. I do need some sleep, however." I said.  
  
"Come, then. You get to sleep in one of our spare rooms." Jeanai said, motioning for me to follow her as she stood up from the stool she'd sat on while I ate. I stood and followed her as she led me up to the part of the Inn holding rooms for rent, stopping in front of one of the first doors we came across. Jeanai opened the door, revealing a small, simple room, and handed me a key and said goodnight before disappearing back down the stairs.  
  
With her gone, I went into the room and closed and locked the door behind me. After pondering what to do about sleeping attire for a moment, I decided that I'd sleep in the shift that I'd had to put on underneath the dress. I quickly took off the borrowed dress, then, and hung it in the small closet I had been supplied with before sinking onto the bed - still wearing my headscarf - and drifting off into the peaceful oblivion of sleep.  
  
----To be continued...with 67% more funny-talking natives!----  
(And the required Tod!) (Uh, ok, I should probably explain that...my friend and I have an unintentional habit of naming extras 'Tod' or 'Ted' in our FanFictions.)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
A little note on where this story is going - for the next few chapters, recognizable characters other than Rachel will be making only brief appearances. I will be getting back to Rivendell eventually, but...well...she's going to be returning with Boromir. So that's 800 or so years, and I'm going to be trying to cover it all and get her back to Rivendell, when the fun can begin, in 5 chapters. We'll see how this works out. I've never had to cover this much time in a story before. Heck, never really gave myself the chance, considering that I was dealing with mortals in 'Sightseeing in Middle-Earth', and taking too long to reveal the plot in 'No Eyes Needed' would give away the plot without really giving it away. If that makes any sense. I just hope I do OK with the little time-passing chapters, especially since I've edited them numerous times.  
  
Lastly, to end this Author's Note, thank you to ALL my reviewers, and to my readers, though I would especially like it if I had only reviewers to thank because all my readers have reviewed. *hint hint* Now off to buy my mothers birthday present...so I can give it to her tonight. Do I procrastinate? Hell yes.  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	15. Settling

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Today, we have a special guest to help me with the disclaimer - Boromir!  
  
Boromir: Cwimson Stawwight owns nothin but Wachel and Kawi.  
  
Glorfindel: ...  
  
CS: OK, so he's a very YOUNG Boromir...  
  
Boromir: Can I have a cookie now? Pwease? *makes a puppy dog face*  
  
CS: *gives Boromir a cookie*  
  
Boromir: Yay! ^_^  
  
Rachel: That is disturbingly cute for something coming from someone who's going to grow up to be a water-logged pin cushion...  
  
-15: Settling-  
  
When I woke the next morning, I found my headscarf had wrapped itself around my eyes, and the sun high in the sky, near to noon. Groaning, I carefully pulled myself out of bed and pulled off the scarf before stretching. I was a little sore, but very rested. I was surprised I had been so tired, wondering what had happened to my Elvish constitution. Then I realized I'd been going on about three hours sleep each night for my entire journey. I smiled wryly, then after smoothing out my shift as best I could, I looked around the room and discovered a pitcher full of water and a basin - along with some soap. Cheerfully, I washed my face and hands, and was amused when the water immediately turned a dirty brown colour. Oh, what I wouldn't give for a large tub full of water and this soap, I mused as I looked in the small, cracked mirror behind the basin. Just with that simple wash, I already looked much cleaner.  
  
A few moments later, I shook myself out of my wishing for a good bath, and went over to the closet. To my surprise, I found not only the dress from the night before, but several other of the same size. I glanced at the door - it was locked. But then, I supposed Halena or Bartholomew probably had a master key, or a copy of every room key. I was slightly worried, however, that whoever had brought the dresses in - and probably the pitcher full of water - might have seen me sleeping with my eyes open and know that I was an Elf. There was nothing for it, however, and there was no indication that anybody had seen one way or another. Flipping through the four dresses now hanging in the closet, I picked out a deep blue one that complimented my eyes.  
  
After putting on the dress, I spotted several scarves hanging on little pegs on the back of the door of the closet, and I picked a nice one that matched my hair. I went back to the mirror to put it on, and realized suddenly how greasy and gross my hair was. I made a face, then removed the dress I'd just put on, not wanting to get it wet, and used the soap and remaining water in the pitcher to do a crude washing of my hair. Then I had the extreme fun of finger-combing my hair. Once that was done, I wrapped the scarf around my head - and my ear tips - hoping to whatever deities were listening that walking around with wet hair was acceptable in Middle-Earth. There was no such thing as a hair-dryer, though, so I had no choice.  
  
Once I had put the blue dress back on, I contemplated the dirty water in the basin, wondering if I should do anything about it. I decided not, for fear I would make a mistake. Then I left the room and headed downstairs to the kitchen. I found that most of the rest of the Inn was up already, with only a few guests still abed. Bartholomew smiled to me as I entered the common room of the Inn, however, so I figured I couldn't be in much trouble for sleeping late.  
  
"Good morn to ya, Rachel!" he said cheerily.  
  
"Good morning, Master Marsanon." I said cheerfully in reply.  
  
"Have a good sleep?" Bartholomew asked with a mischievous grin. I nodded emphatically.  
  
"I never knew how much you could miss such a simple thing as a bed, four walls, and a roof." I said, and Bartholomew chuckled.  
  
"Aye, most people don't until they've had t'go without." he said. "If ya go t'the kitchen, Halena will have some food waitin', and then you do whatever she tells ya until supper. Then its back t'servin'." I nodded cheerily, and then disappeared into the kitchen. There, Halena fed me, and put me to work...washing dishes. Something I hadn't done since I was a kid, and amused me greatly. Poor Jeanai and Halena must have thought I was crazy, washing dishes with an idiotic grin on my face.  
  
Whatever they thought, I didn't stop to ask, as when I was done with the dishes, Halena wanted me to come help hang up the laundry she'd washed. That was easy, if tiring, and I got to smile serenely as Halena exclaimed over how clean my trousers and tunic had come. Elvish handiwork really was the best. The clothes were hardly showing any wear for the weeks that I'd worn them.   
  
The rest of my day continued along those same lines - do a chore, get given another chore to do, do that chore, get given another chore to do, et cetera. Finally, suppertime rolled around, and I got to return to the kitchen, eat, and start serving. Once more, I spent the evening weaving in and out of the tables with Marli, ignoring lewd remarks and suggestions, not to mention many butt pinches. Marli seemed amused by all the attention I was getting, and when I complained about it, she told me that next time I should try and make myself look a little more dirtier and unbecoming if I wanted to avoid it.  
  
"I'm not going to sacrifice my cleanliness just to get away from their come ons." I said with a blink. "At least, not for awhile." Marli grinned, and then we were both speeding off to serve tables again. It was around midnight again by the time the common room was finally empty, and all the patrons with rooms were in them. My Elvish constitution - which I was learning to love - had me still energetic, so I went out and looked in on Liltalen, who, besides being grumpy about being left in a stall all day, was fine. Then, much to the amusement of Gartan, I literally skipped back into the Inn, where I found Bartholomew waiting for me. Curious, I went over to him when he called to me.  
  
"Rachel, ya've been a great help these two nights." he said gravely. "If yer up t'it, I'd be glad t'have ya stay on as more of a regular. We could use the help, and I could pay ya a few coins a week, maybe more later." I paused, considering. I was certainly having more fun then I had expected. Working at an Inn wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be, and I would get to see a lot more of the population working here than in a shop of some sort. If I could just get used to the lewd comments from the men in the common room. I was sure I could, though.  
  
"I really have no place else to go, and you have all been such a great help." I said with a smile.  
  
"Wonderful!" Bartholomew said with a smile.  
  
"I'm going to have some days free so that I can ride L - Star Dancer, though. He's going to get restless, cooped up in the stable all day." I said. Bartholomew frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then suddenly smiled.  
  
"Well, I have just the thing fer that! Old Tod on the edge of town raises horses, and he's always mentionin' how he has s'few horses 'cause he can't get a stallion. I'm sure if ya let him intr'duce yer Star Dancer t'his mares, he'd be more'n happy t'let the boy roam his pastures durin' the day." he said cheerily. I pondered that, slightly amused by the prospect, then nodded.  
  
"I shall have to see about that. It would certainly do Star's ego some good." I said. Bartholomew chuckled.  
  
"If ye can get up early 'nough, then, I'll 'ave Jeanai take ya t'Tod's tomorrow mornin'." he said. I smiled cheerfully.  
  
"I'll be up and ready at the crack of dawn!" I said. Bartholomew chuckled again, apparently not believing me, then said goodnight, telling me I could sleep in the same room, and disappeared. The last one up in the Inn, I had the sudden urge to do some imitation Celtic line-dancing across the common room, which I did, humming some vaguely Celtic sounding music before heading up to my room.  
  
Inside, I found that the basin had been emptied, and the pitcher refilled. There was also a nightshirt resting on the bed, and my tunic and trousers were folded neatly and put in the small dresser that held the basin and pitcher. My dirty headscarf, which I had left on the floor, was nowhere to be found, and I didn't mind. Still humming to myself, I changed into the nightshirt and did a quick wash of my hands and face before climbing into bed. After a brief pause, I grinned and pulled my headscarf down over my eyes like my other headscarf had been when I'd woken up that morning, and then I lay back and fell asleep, with no worries that whoever was taking care of my room might wander in and see me sleeping with my eyes open.  
  
Indeed, the next morning, I discovered that it was Jeanai who was playing the maid to my room, as I woke up as she came in. She apologized immediately for waking me up, but I dismissed it.  
  
"I was planning on getting up early, anyways." I said. "I need to see about getting a more suitable place for Star Dancer to spend his days than cooped up in a stall. Your father mentioned that you might be able to introduce me to Old Tod?"  
  
"Oh, of course!" Jeanai said cheerfully. "That's just the place for him! Old Tod has a very large amount of land; Star Dancer will have plenty of room to run there." I smiled again, and then once Jeanai had left the room, I rinsed my face and hands before picking out another one of the dresses in the wardrobe and changing into it, and a new, clean shift that Jeanai had brought with her that morning. I also changed my head scarf so it matched the dress. Once that was done, I headed off down to the kitchen, where Bartholomew looked positively shocked to see me up and about.  
  
"A little past the crack of dawn." I said with a frown as I looked out the window. "Tsk tsk. I'm a little off." Bartholomew chuckled.  
  
"I'm just surprised t'see ya up, lass." he said. I smiled.  
  
"You'll find I'm full of surprises." I said. Then Halena told me to sit and handed me a bowl of something that looked vaguely like oatmeal, and I ate quickly. Jeanai appeared when I was down, and announced that she was down cleaning rooms, and could take me to see Old Tod.  
  
"Will HE be up at this hour?" I asked dubiously, looking out and seeing that the sun had still not fully risen.  
  
"All who have to deal with a large number of horses on a regular basis are up before the dawn." Jeanai said with a smile. "He'll be up." I nodded, and then we set off. Jeanai was silent only until the Inn was out of sight.  
  
"So have you seen any Dwarves?" she asked.  
  
"A few, not many." I replied with a smile. It was only a half-lie...I'd seen lots of actual dwarves from home on the TV, not to mention all the fake Dwarves that one could see easily by watching the 'Lord of the Rings' movies.  
  
"Are they really as short as the tales tell?" Jeanai asked excitedly.  
  
"Depends on what tales you're talking about." I replied. "They are short, though. The tallest one that I've seen barely came up to my chest, and I'm not exactly tall."  
  
"Wow. I bet you had lots of adventures coming over the mountains." Jeanai said, switching topics easily.  
  
"If you count get my dress ripped and torn, and losing my luggage and my horse, yes, I had adventures." I said, a story forming in my mind to explain about Liltalen and my tunic and trousers if the time to explain about them ever came. It might not, but it would be better to plant the basis for the stories ahead of time, so they didn't seem like such a lie.  
  
"Really?" Jeanai asked, very surprised.  
  
"Yes, I was lucky I came upon that Elf that I mentioned the other night. He gave me some better clothes, and Star Dancer." I replied.  
  
"He GAVE you his horse?" Jeanai exclaimed.  
  
"Well, it wasn't his horse. Star Dancer was apparently a rather troublesome stallion, and he was just taking the horse between Elvish kingdoms, to see if someone else could get him to behave. When he saw that Star Dancer listened to me practically immediately, though, he decided that Star Dancer was probably better off with me. So he gave him to me." I said with a shrug.  
  
"So...Star Dancer is an Elvish horse? That's why you called him that Elvish name! It was his name before that Elf gave him to you, wasn't it?" Jeanai asked, her eyes sparkling. I nodded.  
  
"I still call him Liltalen most of the time, myself." I said. "Trying to get him used to being called Star Dancer."  
  
"Old Tod's going to go into shock!" Jeanai said.  
  
"Once he finds out, yes, but I'm not going to tell him until he agrees to let me keep Star Dancer there." I replied. Jeanai looked at me confused, but then shrugged.  
  
"Whatever you want to do." she said. We walked in silence for a short while, and then Jeanai started chattering away about various shops and people that we passed. I listened, amused - the girl was like two entirely different people, depending on whether or not she was around her parents. Around them, she was silent and obedient, down to earth and everybody's good little girl. Away from them - she talked non stop, practically bounced as she walked, and shot flirtatious looks at just about every boy we passed.  
  
Eventually, however, we reached the outskirts of town, and Jeanai led me to a small house that seemed to be at the edge of a large field. She knocked lightly on the door, and when there was no response, she lead me around back, where I saw a small stable, looking like it was more used for shelter than anything else, and in front of it was an elderly - though still energetic - man, inspecting at a horses hoof intently.  
  
"Tod!" Jeanai called out to the old man, and he straightened, looking mildly surprised. He smiled, however, when he saw Jeanai.  
  
"Ah, Jeanai! What brings you here?" he asked as we came over.  
  
"Nothing, but Rachel here has business regarding a horse." Jeanai said cheerfully.  
  
"Well then. Hello - Rachel, is it?" Old Tod asked, turning to me. I nodded.  
  
"That it is, Master Tod." I said. Old Tod smiled at my politeness, then motioned for me to follow him, and lead Jeanai and I into his house.  
  
"Tea?" he asked when we were inside and seated at the table.  
  
"If you have the time." Jeanai replied with a smile, and Old Tod just nodded, a little ruefully, before setting about preparing tea. Once the water was on the boil, he sat down across from us and looked at me.  
  
"Alright, Miss Rachel, you have business regarding a horse?" he asked.  
  
"Ah, yes. I'm recently arrived here in Bree, and I've traveled by horse from east of the Misty Mountains. Now I'm looking to settle down for a bit, but I don't want to sell my horse." I replied. "Master Marsanon mentioned that you might let me keep my horse here, where he can run around."  
  
"Well, I might, but I don't just let anyone use my pasture for free." Tod said with a slight frown.  
  
"I figured that. Master Marsanon also mentioned, however, that you seem to be having a little trouble finding good stallions for your mares." I said, smiling innocently. Tod arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Yer horse is a stallion?" he asked in surprise. I nodded.  
  
"And a fine one at that." I said. "Jeanai here can attest to that." Jeanai nodded vigorously.  
  
"Star Dancer is a beautiful horse!" she said. Tod smiled.  
  
"Not to put down your word, Jeanai, but you're no horsewoman. I'd like to see this horse myself before I agree to anything." he said. I pondered that for a moment, and then nodded. I might have to tell him ahead of time that it was an Elven horse, or he might guess, but oh well. It was all for the good of Liltalen.  
  
"Would you like me to bring him around later, or come back to the Inn with us and see him there?" I asked.  
  
"How about we have our tea, and then I'll come back to the Inn with you?" Tod suggested with a smile as he got up to serve us tea. We agreed, and spent the next few minutes talking over our tea. Tod and Jeanai did most of the talking, but then Tod started asking me about where I came from, and I told him the same tale I'd told Jeanai. He was a little more curious than Jeanai about exact names, but I managed to skip around giving a precise location, and finally we were done our tea and heading out of Tod's house towards town.  
  
Jeanai became steadily more subdued the closer we got to the Inn, and by the time we'd reached it, she was back to her silent, good-girl self. Tod, I noticed, was looking at her with amusement, and winked at me when he saw me looking equally amused. At the door of the Inn, Jeanai bid us good day, then disappeared inside. Tod shook his head when she disappeared.  
  
"That girl is so sure she knows what her parents want of her. If she'd just open up around them, however, she'd find that they did not mind." he said as he looked at the door, and then turned his attention to me. "Now, shall we go see this stallion of yours? What was his name - Star Dancer, Jeanai said?"  
  
"Yes, Star Dancer. Or Liltalen, if you use his Elvish name." I said.  
  
"He has an Elvish name?" Old Tod asked in surprise.  
  
"Oh yes." I said with a mischievous grin as we entered the stable. "Liltalen!" I called, seeing that he was hiding in his stall. Hearing my voice, the stallion's head popped over the stall door and looked at me reproachfully. "Hey boy! How ya doing?" I said cheerily as I came over to him. When I reached out to pat him on the nose, though, he snapped at me. I whacked him on the nose in return. "Hey, don't snap at me! I'm doing my best to get you out of this stall!" Liltalen nickered at me, bared his teeth, and then nuzzled my shoulder. I heard a chuckle, and looked over to see Old Tod laughing in amusement.  
  
"An Elvish horse, eh, lass?" he asked when his mirth had calmed down. I smiled in reply.  
  
"Yes." I said.  
  
"Well, I won't ask how you came upon him, but I'd be more than happy to have him in my pastures. What did you say his Elvish name was?" Tod asked.  
  
"Liltalen. And I came upon him perfectly honestly - an Elf gave him to me when I handled this supposedly 'troublesome' stallion easily." I replied.  
  
"Yes yes, I can see you have quite the way with him." Tod replied, then motioned toward Liltalen and asked "May I?"  
  
"Go ahead." I said, then turned to Liltalen and fixed him with a hard look. "Be nice to him." Liltalen snorted, as if to say 'Why ever wouldn't I?', and Tod chuckled again as he reached out and patted the stallion's nose. After giving Liltalen a cursory look over, Tod went into the stall with the stallion and started inspecting him more closely. Liltalen was surprisingly patient about the whole thing, and by the end of it, Tod came out of the stall grinning.  
  
"I would be EXTREMELY pleased if you would let me host your stallion in my pastures at no cost to yourself." he said.  
  
"I would be extremely pleased to have someplace for him other than this stall." I said with a grin.  
  
"Deal, then." Tod said, sticking his hand out to me, and I gave it a good shake. Then, on impulse, I decided to add a small stipulation.  
  
"There is one thing, though..." I said hesitantly. Tod looked at me curiously.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"Tell me, have you heard of the...well, I guess you'd know them as the Rangers." I asked.  
  
"Them?" Tod asked, wrinkling his nose. "Yes, I've heard of them. Unsavory men, they are. Wouldn't want to get messed up with them." I smiled at him ruefully.  
  
"I'll have to differ in your opinion on that. One of them saved my life not to long back." I said. I absently mused how many more lies I was going to have to tell to get accepted. I was started to feel like a criminal. It was better than the truth, though. However the Elves might treat those they consider madwomen, the humans treatment was bound to be many times worse. Not to put down humans, but I was one, and I know it's the truth.  
  
"Really?" Tod asked in surprise, pulling my attention back to the conversation, and I nodded.  
  
"Yes, and he was quite the gentleman about it, as well. Which is why I would like it if you, and this probably seems a lot to ask, considering what you just told me of your opinion of the rangers, would be sure to offer any rangers that might happen to come to Bree looking for a horse any foal you might get out of Liltalen." I said tentatively. I really wasn't sure why I was doing this, but it felt like a good thing to do, and hey, Aragorn was going to need a horse with Elvish blood in it once the War of the Ring started. For a moment, though, it looked as if Tod might refuse. Eventually, however, he nodded.  
  
"Of course. For normal price." he said.  
  
"As long as it's normal price and not triple." I said with a smile, and Tod replied with his own smile.  
  
"Wonderful. I'll come with you to the Inn, then, and have chat with Bartholomew. Would you mind if I took Liltalen back to my ranch with me when I return there afterwards?" Tod asked. "Or would you like to bring him yourself and see him settled?" I pondered that, looking at Liltalen, and then shook my head.  
  
"No, he needs a good run, and it's already getting late in the day. I wouldn't be able to bring him until tomorrow. You can take him back with you when you leave." I said, and then turned to Liltalen with a stern expression. "You hear that Liltalen? You're to follow him without complaint, and you'll be able to get out of this stall!" Liltalen snorted at me, and I smiled before petting him affectionately.  
  
"Would you like to leave your tack here, or shall I take it back with me to the ranch?" Tod asked with a smile.  
  
"I ride bareback and without a bridle." I said with a smile. "I have no tack."  
  
"An Elvish horse that you ride in Elvish fashion. You are quite interesting, Miss Rachel." Tod said.  
  
"Why thank you." I said with a grin. "I'm probably wanted at the Inn, shall we go?" Tod nodded, and we set off for the Inn.  
  
----To be continued...with 200% more Elves!----  
(And 100% more Rangers!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Well, here it is, handy dandy chapter 15! I think I covered...uh...two days in this chapter? O.o Oh well...Next chapter covers a good year. I think. Can't remember. Covers a good amount of time. And has Elves! Ok, has AN Elf. Better than no Elf, though!  
  
Anyways. I have a few reviews I'd like to reply to here...  
  
Erniliel - Well, obviously, the next chapter's not going to be about Kari. And as for a chapter in the future, well, as far as I've planned, none of them will be solely about Kari, either.  
  
elfin-soul - Yep, the Fellowship will be entering. Y'think Rachel could stand being in Middle-Earth without meeting the Fellowship at some point? They'll probably play a small part, though...except for Boromir. But you'll have to wait to find out more about that. ^_^  
  
And welcome to all the new reviewers I seem to have aquired with chapter 14...did I hit some sort of milestone or something that suddenly got people reading this story or something? Because I think Chapter 14 has gotten double the reviews any other chapter has. O.o  
  
Whatever the reason, thank-you to each and every one of my reviewers. You all get random Lothlorien Elves. At least until Galadriel notices they're missing, hunts me down, finds out what I did with them, and takes them back...So make use of them while you have them! :)  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	16. Going

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Anybody who thinks I own anything relating to Tolkiens works will be *starts singing* leeeeeeeaving on a jet plaaaaaaaaaane,*stops singing* because I own absolutely nothing.  
  
Rachel: That was bad. Very bad.  
  
CS: So bad it was wonderful?  
  
Rachel: No, just really bad.  
  
CS: Drat.  
  
-16: Going-  
  
I settled into a routine quickly over the next few months in Bree, and while it wasn't exactly the normal routine for the people of Bree, I came to be accepted despite of it. The reason my routine wasn't all that normal was because after only a few nights of trying to keep normal human hours, I found myself almost bursting with too much sleep, and a longing to see the stars.  
  
So I decided that, instead of going to bed once the common room of the Inn was open, I'd go out to Old Tod's place and take Liltalen for a ride. That usually lasted several hours, most of which I spent staring up at the stars - which I had become strangely obsessed with, silly Elf instincts - and then returned to the Inn in what was basically the dead of night. I went to bed, then, and slept until dawn or mid-morning, depending on how tired I was, and then I either helped out in the Inn, or went around town with Jeanai until evening. When evening came around, I'd return to the Inn, where I waited on tables all night. To accompany my strange habits, Bartholomew started letting me be the one to lock up the Inn at night. I was surprised that he trusted me so easily, but then I figured either I was a very trustable person, or the damn Mary-Sue Factor was at work again. I could help neither, so I let it be.  
  
True to what I'd expected, I did get used to the constant come ons from the men in the common room as I worked - it was harder to get used to having no weekend than to get used to the come ons, actually. And after it became apparent that I wasn't going to take any of the men up on their offers, they stopped coming so frequently. The Prancing Pony did, however, get the reputation of having the most beautiful server - and lady - in all of Bree. At least, that's what everybody else said. I brushed it off, but inwardly groaned, knowing that it was my Elfish-ness showing through. No one seemed to even have suspicions about my actual race, though.  
  
At least, I didn't think they did. I found out differently after a chain of events caused by four Rangers that suddenly appeared at the Inn four years after my arrival in Bree, wanting rooms for the night, and good meals. Not wanting to turn away business, though rather disapproving of the Rangers, Bartholomew found them rooms, and they then went and sat on Marli's half of the Inn. Marli, it turned out, had heard some rather terrifying - and most likely completely untrue - stories about Rangers, and refused to go near them.  
  
So it was up to me to serve the Rangers, and when I was getting their orders, I was surprised to hear that one of them was an Elf. The Rangers noticed when I startled upon hearing the Elf's voice, and after asking me what I started for and getting the true answer, they quietly asked me not to say anything about their companion's race. I nodded, grinned briefly at the Elf, whoever he was, and went off to get their orders.  
  
The rest of the evening the Rangers and Elf sat at their table, talking, with their hoods up to conceal their faces, but it wasn't until the common room had emptied that they seemed to relax at all. Two of the Rangers let their hoods fall back, at least, and none of them seemed as tense as before. They still looked as if they were expecting an Orc attack at any moment, though.  
  
Bartholomew, having had a busy evening, was quite tired when the last customer except for the Rangers had gone to bed, and was grumbling about having to stay up until the Rangers went to bed. The Rangers showed no signs of retiring, so I, being the smart person that I am, volunteered to stay up and lock up once the Rangers had gone to bed. Bartholomew agreed easily, and went to bed. When he was gone, I watched the Rangers and Elf as they talked in low tones, until finally my curiosity got the best of me and I - yet again - unknowingly made another one of those life-changing descisions and strolled over to them. All four looked up as I approached, but I ignored the three Rangers glances in favour of the Elf.  
  
"If I may be so bold, m'lord, which of the fair Elven kingdoms do you hail from?" I asked. All four at the table looked at me in surprise, and only then did I notice that I'd inadvertently spoken in Elvish. I mentally cursed the Mary-Sue Factor around the world and back again.  
  
"Imladris." The Elf replied finally. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"I was curious, to be honest." I said with a small smile, glad when I realized I was speaking in Common once again. Hmm, maybe I should curse out the Mary-Sue Factor more often. "It has been awhile since I saw an Elf of any kingdom."  
  
"I take it you are not native to Bree?" one of the unhooded Rangers asked. I looked at him, surprised.  
  
"No, I'm not. How did you know?" I asked.  
  
"Besides your accent being one I've never heard, no Elf has shown their face in Bree for many a year." the Ranger replied.  
  
"Ah, I did not know." I said with a smile, and then turned a curious gaze to the Elf. "If that is the case, though, may I inquire as to why you are in Rivendell now?"  
  
"We got tired of sleeping on the ground." the Elf replied with a chuckle, and suddenly I realized that his voice was familiar...as was his laugh.  
  
"And our horses ran away on us." the other un-hooded Ranger put in dryly. "We were hoping to find more mounts here in Bree, though I doubt we'll have much luck - we never do." At that point, I grinned.  
  
"Ah, there I do think you'll be wrong." I said. "If you go to Old Tod's ranch on the edge of town, he has some fine horses that he'll sell for normal price to Rangers."  
  
"Really?" the hooded Ranger asked, finally showing an interest in the conversation. I nodded.  
  
"Bred from my own stallion, I might add." I replied.  
  
"Well, we shall have to go have a look." the hooded Ranger said. "Thank you, Miss."  
  
"Not a problem." I said with a smile, and then, taking the hint that the conversation was over, I left the common room for the kitchen. I couldn't resist, however, stopping at the door to listen and see if I could hear anything interesting. While I did want to get away from Rivendell and the Elves, I had an urge to see if I could find out if Kari and Elrohir had at least become engaged since I'd left. A stupid urge that could lead to complications, I knew, but I couldn't help it.  
  
The Rangers and Elf, once I left the room, immediately started talking furiously in low voices. If it hadn't been for my Elvish hearing, I wouldn't have been able to hear them at all. They started with wondering over finding a serving maid at an Inn that could speak Sindarin, and then started contemplating my telling them of Old Tod's horses. The Rangers seemed strangely leery of actually going and seeing the horses, let alone buying any, expecting the horses to be underfed and skinny - I was highly insulted - but the Elf said they'd go see the horses, and that settled it.  
  
After that, the four decided to go up to their rooms, and I was moving away from the door when I heard two voices on the landing - the hooded Ranger and the Elf had apparently stopped at the base of the stairs to talk.  
  
"That girl, did you notice? She made no noise when she walked." the Ranger said, and I winced, mentally making a note to walk more loudly whenever Rangers came to the Inn.  
  
"She made noise, Aranarth, but only enough for an Elf to hear." the Elf replied, his smile clear in his voice. I frowned thoughtfully as I heard the name - it sounded familiar.  
  
"Still, I have met no human not Dúnedain that can walk that quietly." Aranarth said. "Where do you think she came from?"  
  
"I do not know. I shall have to ask the Innkeeper tomorrow. But for now, I suggest we carry on this conversation elsewhere. Though I doubt she can hear us, she has been eavesdropping from the kitchen since she left." the humour in the Elf's voice was evident, and I had the sudden urge to smack him.  
  
"Indeed?" Aranarth asked in surprise, and then paused for a moment. "I shall have to go by your word, Lord Elladan. As I said, I cannot hear her." Aranarth would have been able to hear me after he finished speaking, though, gasping and stumbling back from the door, if it wasn't for the fact that both the Elf and Ranger were now heading up the stairs. My head swam as I stumbled to the small room back by the Marsanon family's quarters that I'd been given to use once it became apparent I was staying. Elladan! No wonder his voice had sounded so familiar...it was a miracle I hadn't recognized it, in fact.  
  
I had mechanically gotten ready for bed, almost in shock, before I realized suddenly what a stupid mistake my little talk with the Rangers and Elladan had become. Elladan would recognize Liltalen the next day when they went to the pasture. Swearing to myself, I changed out of my nightgown and into my borrowed/stolen trousers and tunic from Elladan that I had come to use for my night time rides. I headed to the kitchen, where I grabbed some food that I knew I was bound to need before coming back to the Inn, then quickly locked up the Inn, having realized that I forgot to do it, and headed out to Tod's. Tod was awake, surprisingly, out in the stables, which had had to be expanded over the last few years due to the new foals - most of which were courtesy of Liltalen, I'm proud to say. One of the mares was now apparently giving birth to a new foal, and Tod was watching to make sure everything went alright.  
  
"Evenin, Rachel!" Tod said cheerily as I came into the stables. I smiled in response.  
  
"Evening, Tod. Which mare is it?" I asked.  
  
"Lily." Tod replied, and that was all the explanation I needed. Lily was a young, light grey mare, a new purchase that had only been with Tod's herd for a year. This was also her first pregnancy, and Tod suspected that she might be carrying twins.  
  
"Everything going smoothly?" I asked, peering into the stall. Tod nodded.  
  
"So far." he said. There was a pause, and then Tod glanced at me. "Liltalen's out in the pasture, if yer lookin for him."  
  
"I am, and I know." I said, and then bit my lip as I considered what to say. This was going to turn out to be much more complicated than I thought - even if I did get Liltalen away from the pastures, and keep him away until Elladan and the Rangers left, Elladan was bound to notice that the horses unusual intelligence, and suspect that they had an Elvish horse in their background. That would lead to questions, and Tod would unknowingly spill all in his pride.  
  
"Something the matter, lass?" Tod asked curiously, turning to me.  
  
"No...yes." I replied with a sigh. "Some Rangers arrived at the Inn tonight."  
  
"And they weren't all you remembered them to be?" Tod asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh no, they were, it's just..." I paused, frantically scrambling for a story that I could use to explain why I didn't want Tod to tell the Rangers anything about Liltalen. With a sigh, I went for the first thing that popped into my head, and hope various people wouldn't compare notes and realize that there were many holes in my story. "It's like this. The four Rangers are in need of horses, and I told them to come here tomorrow. I found out after I told them that one of the Rangers was actually an Elf from Rivendell. And, well...an Elf didn't actually give Liltalen to me, I found him wandering in the wilderness. I'm afraid they might think I stole him, though." I bit my lip again as I continued. "Tod, would you do me a big favour and not mention anything about Liltalen if you possibly can? Call him Star Dancer if you have to, and just claim to have no knowledge of his lineage or where he came from. Please?" I turned to Tod with a pleading look, and after a moment, he nodded.  
  
"Aye, I'll do that, lass. But it will all be for nothin if Liltalen's in the pasture when they come." he said.  
  
"He won't be. I'm going to take him out riding, and I won't be back until noon tomorrow." I replied briskly.  
  
"All night?" Tod asked in surprise. "Why?"  
  
"Because I have no idea when they're going to get up, and I'm feeling restless tonight." I replied.  
  
"But you need to get some sleep!" Tod protested.  
  
"I can go one night without sleep, Tod. I've done it before." I replied softly, and then said an earnest "Thank you." before heading out into the pasture and finding Liltalen. Mounting up on him, I pointed him towards the fence, and kicked him into a gallop. Liltalen, long used to this by now, jumped smoothly over the fence, then followed my direction and cantered off into the forest.  
  
I rode until dawn, mostly in ever-widening circle around Bree, and then stopped to eat the little food I'd snagged from the kitchen for breakfast. After that, I walked for a shot while, Liltalen following beside me, and eventually mounted up again and rode around some more before heading back to Tod's. Truth be told, it was a nice ride, if a little long for my tastes. Tod was waiting out front of his house when I arrived back at his ranch, and waved cheerily to me as I approached.  
  
"Well lass, your Rangers and Elf came." he said. "They clean bought me out of all of Liltalen's three year-olds, and mentioned coming back for the two year-olds. Seemed quite happy with them. They asked questions, o'course, but I told 'em nothing, like you asked."  
  
"Thank you." I said with a grateful smile. "Did they go back to the Inn afterwards?" Tod shook his head.  
  
"No, they headed out immediately afterwards. Though the smooth-voiced one didn't seem to want to." he said.  
  
"The Elf." I said with a smile. "He probably wanted to stick around and corner me about Liltalen."  
  
"Probably." Tod said with a chuckle. "The other three got him to go, though."  
  
"Good." I said with a smile. "Now I'd best put Liltalen in the pasture and head back to the Inn - Bartholomew will be wondering where I got to."  
  
"Nah, Jeanai already showed up lookin for ya, and I told her where you were." Tod said cheerfully.  
  
"Did you tell her anything else?" I asked worriedly.  
  
"Not a word, lass." Tod said solemnly. "She looks up to you like an older sister, and I'll leave it up to you to tell her somethin like that." With a nod and another thanks, I bid good day to Tod, then returned Liltalen to the pasture before heading off to the Inn. Bartholomew and Halena gave me strange looks when I entered, but as I didn't seem to be tired, they didn't scold me - they had no idea I'd been out all night, anyways. They probably just assumed I'd gone for an early morning ride instead of my usual late night ride because of the Rangers. Jeanai, however, looked at me intensely, and I worried that she might have figured something out.  
  
I pushed it out of my mind, however, as the afternoon wore on and I was put to work. In fact, as the week wore on, the incident with the Rangers fell out of my mind, and I stopped worrying about it all together. Which was, of course, a big mistake that I only realized I'd made when, two weeks later, Marli came scurrying in from the common room just as I was about to head out and grabbed my arms.  
  
"Rach, you remember those Rangers that stopped here awhile back? One of them's come back and is askin for you!" she said almost frantically. I paled.  
  
"Which one?" I asked. Marli gave an exasperated sigh.  
  
"I don't know! The one that talks smoothly!" she said. I paled even more.  
  
"Shit." I said without thinking, and instantly I had the attention of everyone in the kitchen. I had never sworn out loud before, so they knew something was up. I pondered my options quickly, and in that instant, realized all the other mistakes I'd made that would probably lead to the inevitable conclusion of Elladan finding out who I was. I had kept my name. I had kept Liltalen's name. I had not established a clear story of where I came from. I sighed, knowing that I needed to leave.  
  
"Marli, go tell him I'll be out shortly." I said. She nodded, and left. Jeanai approached me, frowning.  
  
"Why not go out now?" she asked.  
  
"Because I'm not going to be going out." I replied briskly. Leaving a surprised Jeanai behind me, I went over to Halena and curtseyed respectfully to her.  
  
"You have been very kind to me, Mistress Marsanon, but I am afraid now I must leave." I said.  
  
"Leave? Surely whatever that man's looking for you isn't that bad!" Halena said in surprise.  
  
"He's not a man, and yes it is." I replied crisply, turning to head for my room.  
  
"What?" Halena asked sharply, and grabbed my arm before I could go farther. "What are you talking about, girl?" I eyed her, considering how much to tell her, and then decided to go for the full-blown truth, in the hopes that it would scare her into letting me do as I wished.  
  
"That 'Ranger' out there is one of the sons of the Elf-Lord of Rivendell, and he is looking for me because I have the horse of his brother's fiancé's best friend." I replied, and then added, "Who committed suicide." The entire kitchen stared at me in shock. In the silence, I pried Halena's fingers off my arm, and headed for my room. As I reached my door, I heard a set of footsteps pounding towards me, and I turned to see Jeanai come to a stop beside me.  
  
"I'm going, don't try and stop me." I said, turning back to my room and entering.  
  
"I'm not going to, and neither is mother or father." Jeanai replied as I started packing rapidly. "Mother's getting some food ready for you, in fact." I looked at her in mild surprise. "Whatever may have happened in the past, you've been a great help here, and we'll help you all we can." Jeanai explained.  
  
"Thank you." I said with a smile. "I would like to explain, however, that I met the lady who owned Liltalen before me right before she committed suicide. She gave Liltalen to me, which is why I have him and know his Elvish name. I doubt that the Elf Lord in the common room would believe me, though." That last part wasn't a lie, at least. Elladan wouldn't believe that story for an instant, though for different reasons. Nobody needed to know that, however. Jeanai just nodded, and then bit her lip as she apparently tried to decide whether or not to say something. "If you have anything to say, you'd better say it now, because you won't be getting another chance. I'm not coming back." I said by way of encouragement. Jeanai nodded, but hesitated for a few more seconds. It was only when she saw I was done packing that she finally spoke.  
  
"Are you an Elf?" she blurted out. I looked at her in surprise.  
  
"What makes you ask that?" I asked.  
  
"Well you're so pretty. And when I tended to your room the first night you were here, I saw you sleeping with your eyes open...I'd heard Elves do that." Jeanai said, suddenly very shy. "And...you always keep the tips of your ears covered..." I paused, and then smiled. Reaching up, I brushed my headscarf away from my ear tips so she could see their points.  
  
"Yes, I am." I said, and Jeanai's eyes went wide. "But now I really need to go." I added, and pulled my headscarf back over my ear tips. Jeanai nodded dumbly, moving out of the way as I went for the door. I stopped by the kitchen on my way out, and Halena thrust a package of food into my hands.  
  
"Good bye lass, travel safe." she said. I nodded, then left through the back entrance and took off at a run, already feeling the press of time. Elladan was sure to be questioning as to my whereabouts again soon, if he wasn't already.  
  
I made record time on my run to Old Tod's, and after checking the stables and seeing that he wasn't up, I pounded heavily on his door. After an unbearably long time, during which I was constantly glancing down the road to look for Elladan, Old Tod finally opened his door, looking disheveled and tired.  
  
"Rachel?" he asked blearily.  
  
"I'm leaving, and taking Liltalen." I said. "What foals you have now are all you're going to get from his bloodline. Keep them well, and remember what I said about offering them to Rangers. And pass that on to whoever takes over your ranch and your horses afterwards." Tod blinked, and then nodded. "Goodbye." I said, and Tod mumbled a reply before I dashed off to the pasture. I made what I refer to now as a spectacular flying leap over the fence, whistling to Liltalen as I did so, and then another flying leap up onto Liltalen's back when he came trotting up. He snorted at me questioningly, and I patted his neck reassuringly.  
  
"I'll explain later, boy." I said. "For now, let's go!" I kneed Liltalen into a gallop, and he took off, sensing my urgency. We went over the fence so fast, I barely felt the jump, and as we passed Old Tod where he still stood in his doorway, I caught a glimpse of his face, gaping in absolute shock. I grinned. Old Tod was getting a first-hand view of how fast Elvish horses could go when they REALLY wanted to, and I was sure it was something he wouldn't soon forget.  
  
I galloped non-stop till I was out of sight of Bree, and then I only paused long enough to consider where to go. I decided that as far away from Rivendell as possible was a good idea. And since Rohan hadn't been established yet, that meant...Gondor. I was already heading south, anyways.  
  
With my course decided, I kicked Liltalen into a canter and headed off into the night, keeping and ear and an eye out for anybody following behind me.  
  
----To be continued...with Gandalf!----  
(Not to mention over 600 years.)  
  
-Things to know:-  
  
Aranarth: first Chieftain of the Dúnedain, eldest son of the last king of the North-kingdom.  
Interesting side note: EVERY Chieftain that followed after him except for one (named Argonui) had a name that started with 'Ara'. So every Chieftain had a name that started with 'Ar'. Arrr. Buncha pirates. :D  
  
-Authors Note:-  
OK, I have a question - was the city of Minas Tirith even around in the 2100's of the Second Age? Or was it just a watch tower/fortress, with Osgiliath being the main city of Gondor? I know the seat of power for Gondor was originally in Osgiliath, and only switched to Minas Tirith when Osgiliath was destroyed, but was Minas Tirith around in the 370-some years before that? I've tried to figure it out, using both the books and the Encyclopedia of Arda, but can't get it straightened out in my head.  
  
Now that that's done, thanks to all my reviewers! Especially since, thanks to all of you, this has become my third straight chaptered story to break 100 reviews! Whoo! *throws a party* You all rock! I'd give you some Elves or something, but I did that last chapter...oh, wait, that was limited to Lothlorien Elves...*evil grin* random Mirkwood Elves for everyone!  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	17. Time

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: My fingers are so cold it hurts to type.  
  
Glorfindel: Then write the disclaimer and get it over with!  
  
CS: Can't.  
  
Glorfindel: Why not?  
  
CS: Because I'm sitting on my hands.  
  
Rachel: Then how are you writing this?  
  
CS: With my nose.  
  
Glorfindel: *sigh* Crimson Starlight owns nothing, and we're all very very glad of that...  
  
-17: Time-  
  
One thing I learned on that trip was that not only did it take a lot longer then one would think to get from Bree to Minas Tirith, but trips are a lot less enjoyable when you fear that someone might be following you. Compared to my easy ride from Rivendell to Bree, my trip from Bree to Minas Tirith was practically a race. It was good that I rushed, though - I barely had any food from Halena left by the time I reached the White City.  
  
This time, since Halena and Bartholomew had paid me for my work in Bree, I was able to pay for a room for one or two nights while I looked around the city for a job. This time, to ensure there was no risk of me being recognized, I changed my name, and Liltalen's. I became Melira, and Liltalen, who I soon kept in a paddock outside of the city for a small monthly price, became Obsidian. My story was, for once, not entirely untruthful - I said that 'Obsidian' and I came from Bree, where my family, the Marsanon's, were, and I had traveled to Minas Tirith seeking change.  
  
So, armed with my new identity and wearing one of my nicer dresses, I managed to get up into the 3rd highest circle of the city - quite a feat, considering most Inn's of the Prancing Pony's quality were in the 6th highest circle - and get a job at a seamstresses shop. I had very little skill in sewing, so my job was to handle the customers that didn't need to see the actual seamstress for anything.  
  
Shortly after getting that job, the seamstress invited me to use the apartment above the store as my own, and I was able to move out of the Inn I had been staying in since arrival. I got quite comfortable with that job, and enjoyed it immensely, getting to know most of the inhabitants of the 3rd circle of the city, and a few from above.  
  
My sleeping habits had to change somewhat for my new life style, as I had to work the entire day, instead of the afternoon and evening. So I would work during the day, and then go for rides on Liltalen in the evening or early morning. As time wore on, however, Liltalen became old, and eventually, sixteen years after my arrival in Minas Tirith, he died. Left without a horse to ride around, I started taking walks, or climbing onto the roof of the shop and watching the stars.  
  
All good things must come to an end, however, and eventually the day came when the seamstress grew sick, and soon afterward, died. The business was left to her daughter and apprentice, who was willing to keep me on as help, but I knew I couldn't stay on any longer. I had been there since before the old seamstress' daughter was born, and people were going to start noticing how I wasn't aging.  
  
So, sadly, I told the new seamstress that I needed to go north again to my family, and packed up my things and left. I did not, however, go any farther north than the other side of the city, and no farther away from the city than the 7th - and last - ring. The 7th ring was a rowdy place, but after spending close to 30 years up around the stuffy Lords and Ladies and rich merchants of the 3rd circle, I felt the need for a little excitement.  
  
Excitement was what I got, that's for sure. About the only jobs in the 7th ring of the city were in taverns, and all those that weren't in taverns were already filled. So I found myself back to tavern life, serving tables, being hit on and shooting crude comments back and forth with the customers. I learned quite a few bawdy songs while I was there, too. I rarely sang, though. As the Innkeeper had noted one of the times when I had, my voice was far too smooth to sing such crude songs. So I stuck to joining in on the choruses, and then only quietly. Not like anyone could hear me, no matter how loud I sang, once the entire tavern of drunken men got singing at the same time, as they often did on popular songs.  
  
Not surprisingly, I saw absolutely no one that I knew from the 3rd ring of the city the entire time I was working at that tavern, and was quite pleased to go about my business. I had changed my name when I'd changed from the 3rd to 7th ring, of course, to Enita, as well as my style of dress. I was feeling slightly annoyed with Middle-earth dress codes for women, especially after working in a seamstresses shop, so I adopted a homemade sarong-like skirt, also homemade tight short-sleeved shirts, and bandana's wrapped only around my ear-tips to not only hide them, but keep my now very long hair behind me and out of the way. I was suddenly thankful for the 30 or so years I'd just spent in a seamstresses shop.  
  
My style of dress was, naturally, quite popular with the men, since not only did it show my curves, but every once and awhile I'd flash as much as my entire lower leg while walking. The women, of course, quickly called me a slut, and a strumpet, and just about every other name they could think of. The name-calling tapered off, however, when it became quite apparent that I had no interest whatsoever with sleeping with any of the men I came into contact with. Besides the fact that my identity as an Elf would be revealed, none of the men looked even remotely nice.  
  
Of course, I was probably biased in that opinion, what with seeing and getting to know the ohsoveryyummy Elf-lords of Rivendell.  
  
That was probably one of the only things I missed as I lived in Minas Tirith, skipping around every 30 or so years to a new part of the city. I could never have any close friends, and romance was completely out of the question. I had to practically beat off one of the Ruling Steward's sons once, in fact. I started to feel lonely after awhile, but pushed it away, knowing that even if I did make close friends or get romantic with anyone, I'd just outlive them, anyways. I probably could have handled them if I was just going to outlive them for a hundred years or something like that, but I was an elf, and would outlive anyone I met by forever.  
  
My immortality was by far one of the hardest things for me to deal with, actually. The crude comments, or the stuffy Gondorian Lords and Ladies, I could handle. But living forever? It was strange, to say the least. I had been so used to waking up every morning, and though not consciously thinking it, knowing that I had a limited number of days left. But for the first several hundred years, just about every morning I woke up with the thought in my head that I was immortal, and that I wasn't aging, and that this day wouldn't bring me one day closer to death. It made me much more sedate, and calm, and soon I found that I couldn't fit in as well as I used to with the rowdier crowds in Minas Tirith.  
  
Then I got bored one day and decided to recite as much of the movies to myself as I could, and naturally, that lead to the remembrance of Haldir's death in said movies. So, recalling that I could die from wounds and nasty accidents, I promptly packed up my bags and switched identities - back to the 7th ring of the city. My love of life, rowdiness, and sense of humour, along with disrespect for formalities, returned after that, and I spent the next several hundred years quite happily skipping around the lower rings of the city, avoiding the Lords and Ladies entirely.  
  
I'm still amazed to think back over those days in Minas Tirith and realize I spent over 500 years there, skipping from identity to identity, job to job. I'm quite surprised someone didn't recognize me from a previous identity and blow my cover, but I guess if you're not expecting to see someone, your eyes slide right past them if you see them, making up some excuse to your brain about how that can't be them. The ever-present Mary-Sue Factor probably helped, as well. I was annoyingly aware that it was still around, even after I'd left Rivendell, though its presence wasn't as strong as it used to be. Several hundred years - and cursing outs - seems to have taken some of the spunk out of it. I could actually make a mistake every now and then, and was extremely delighted every time I managed to do so. Yes, most people I met thought I was slightly touched in the head.  
  
Anyways. I stuck around Minas Tirith until the year after Ecthelion the First rebuilt the White Tower, 2699, and then bought a horse and provisions - and hired an escort, Middle-Earth wasn't all that safe anymore - and traveled to the newly-established Rohan. Banking on the Rohirrim's knowing of the Dúnedain, I spent close to 60 years in Meduseld, helping in the Kings stables and thoroughly enjoying myself. The Rohirrim had a very different culture from Gondor, less refined, and more relaxed. I fit in perfectly.  
  
I was sad when I realized it was time for me to leave, and so I encountered the one problem with my lifestyle that I hadn't even thought of - the urge for a home. My over 600 years of skipping from identity to identity had left me without any place to truly call home, especially once I left Minas Tirith for Rohan, and I had the sudden urge to head north again. That I did, making for Bree once more, and not a moment to soon.  
  
The year after I left, Rohan was attacked and overrun, and Gondor was put under siege by the Corsairs. The winter that followed was one of the coldest in my memory, and I was extremely glad to be nice and settled in Bree by the time it came.  
  
I had, out of nostalgia, started working at the Prancing Pony once again, though it was now owned by a different family entirely. Old Tod's ranch was still up and running, surprisingly enough, and even more surprising, it was called 'The Liltalen Ranch', and horses descended from Liltalen still roamed its pastures. After finding that out, I was quite unsurprised to hear that the owners of the ranch were rather frowned upon in Bree because they dealt with Rangers, selling them horses and even housing them if no Inn would take them. The ranch owners were, of course, quite rich by now, and didn't care what anyone else in Bree thought about them at this point. Many times I had the strongest urge to knock them down a few pegs by making some wild story about how my many-times-great grandmother had owned Liltalen, and therefore they owed their success to me, a common serving wench, but instead, I just watched with amusement as the ranch owners swaggered around town.  
  
It was during this winter that I had my first run in with the infamous Gandalf the Grey. Oh, he had come to Minas Tirith while I had been there, but he always stayed up in the palace, and I never saw him. Even here in Bree, he picked the best Inn available - the Prancing Pony. He only stayed one night, apparently passing through on his way to the Shire, but he seemed unusually interested in me when he was at the Inn. He took careful note of my name when I told it to him, and I could practically feel his eyes burning into me whenever I was in the same room as him. This made me, rather irrationally, quite annoyed with the Maia, and glad when he left. The cold weather was probably getting to me, I decided, and pushed Gandalf out of my mind as I continued working.  
  
We have all seen the evidence of what happens when you push incidences regarding well-known characters and the Prancing Pony out of your mind, however. They come back and bite you quite viciously on the rump. So it was that one night that next summer, when I was out taking I walk in the woods around Bree, my eyes on the stars, I had my second run in with Gandalf. I hadn't even known he was there, really, until his gruff, though kind, voice came from behind me.  
  
"The stars are beautiful tonight, are they not?" I whirled around in surprise, and found Gandalf standing there, leaning on his staff and looking quite amused.  
  
"Yes, they are." I said, recovering my composure. There was silence for a moment as Gandalf watched me from under his bushy eyebrows, and I looked back at him curiously.  
  
"So, Laesa, are you enjoying your work at the Prancing Pony?" Gandalf asked after a moment, using the name I'd adopted on my arrival in Bree.  
  
"Very much, Master Gandalf." I replied smoothly. Gandalf chuckled slightly at the title.  
  
"Just Gandalf, child." he said. I held back my annoyance at the title of child - I certainly didn't feel at all child-like after spending 650 years gallivanting around Middle-Earth. But Gandalf's age was, I knew, in the five digit area, and I figured that gave him the right to call me a child if he wanted to.  
  
"As you wish, Gandalf." I said with a smile. "So what brings you back to Bree? Passing through again?"  
  
"Actually, I came to speak with you." Gandalf said. The small smile that had been forming on my face froze, and then disappeared entirely as I slowly arched an eyebrow at Gandalf.  
  
"To me? Whatever could you want to come all the way to Bree simply to speak with me about?" I asked eventually, when Gandalf didn't seem inclined to elaborate.  
  
"I was actually rather wondering what an Elf was doing working in a human Inn, pretending to be human herself." Gandalf replied. I stared at him in shock for a few moments before I reminded myself of what he was. Besides being very old, and wielding the Elven Ring of Fire, he was a Maia, just one step down from the Valar. Sort of like the Middle-Earthian version of an Angel...or possibly Archangel. It really should have been no surprise that he knew what race I truly was without even really getting to know me or spending any time around me.  
  
I realized I was still staring at Gandalf, and that my mouth had dropped open slightly. I closed my mouth and blinked, shaking my head to pull my thoughts together and answer him.  
  
"Trying to earn a living, like most creatures." I replied finally.  
  
"Far away from any of your own kind, and denying your own heritage?" Gandalf asked, one bushy eyebrow crawling up his forehead like some freaky caterpillar.  
  
"Who said I'm denying my heritage?" I asked, arching an eyebrow in reply. "I just happen to know that I wouldn't be accepted on equal terms by humans if it was known I was an Elf. So I hide my ears and sacrifice a little grace and cleanliness and am accepted."  
  
"But why among humans? Why not go to one of the many Elven Kingdoms?" Gandalf asked, looking honestly curious.  
  
"Because I dare not." I replied softly, turning my gaze back up to the stars that I could see through the trees.  
  
"Why not? Were you banished?" Gandalf asked. I turned back to him with an amused smile.  
  
"You're reminding me of a child, Mithrandir, always asking 'why'." I said. Gandalf smiled.  
  
"How else is one supposed to come to know things?" he asked. I chuckled.  
  
"Too true." I said. Silence fell again, and I turned back to the stars.  
  
"You did not tell me why you dare not go to one of the Elven Kingdoms." Gandalf said eventually.  
  
"Because I am cursed." I replied bitterly. Gandalf looked extremely intrigued with that answer.  
  
"Cursed? I did not know Elves were susceptible to such things." he said.  
  
"You'll find I am quite different from any Elf you've ever met." I replied, turning my gaze back to Gandalf and smiling ruefully.  
  
"I'm sure. What is the nature of this curse?" Gandalf asked.  
  
"That I may never set foot in Elvish owned lands ever again." I half-lied briskly, not wanting to explain the whole Mary-Sue deal to Gandalf. Hell, I didn't even want to remember it. Gandalf, however, was not so easily put off.  
  
"Or else what?" he asked.  
  
"What?" I asked in reply, blinking in momentary confusion.  
  
"What will happen if you do set foot in Elvish owned lands?" Gandalf elaborated.  
  
"You don't want to know." I answered, somewhat angrily, turning my eyes stubbornly back to the stars. Silence fell again, and I felt Gandalf's eyes boring into me.  
  
"I heard tell of another strange Elf several hundred years ago." Gandalf said eventually in a conversational tone. "I never met the Elf, myself, but I heard of her strangeness from the sons of the Lord of Rivendell."  
  
"Really." I said flatly, guessing where this was leading.  
  
"And also from the one son's wife, who had apparently been the Elf's friend before she left Rivendell." Gandalf replied. I was sure he had some suspicion as to my identity, now, but if he expected to get a response out of me with that little tidbit about Kari and Elrohir being married, he was sorely disappointed. I had long ago decided that, unless things had gone horribly wrong, Kari and Elrohir would have married by now. So I just turned a dispassionate gaze to Gandalf and arched an eyebrow, silently asking if this was going anywhere. Gandalf continued without seeming to notice my silent question.  
  
"I heard that she ignored all rules of propriety, doing what she liked, and managed, in a matter of days, to turn Lord Elrohir purple, along with her friend, and tame the wildest stallion that had ever come of the Rivendell horses." Gandalf commented. "Unfortunately, not long after her arrival, she apparently jumped from the cliffs north of Rivendell and perished in the plunge. Her horse escaped that very same night, and later traces of his blood were seen here in Bree, in the horses raised on what is now called the Liltalen Ranch."   
  
"How very interesting." I intoned. "So I'm not the only Elf in Arda that is - or was - different from normal. Hardly a startling revelation." There was silence again as Gandalf stared at me thoughtfully, me returning his gaze with a stony one.  
  
"Why ARE you running?" Gandalf murmured, almost to himself. "What have you to be afraid of?" I stared back at him stonily. After awhile, Gandalf shook himself and smiled lightly at me. "Come, it is late, I am sure you need to return to the Inn as much as I." I nodded solemnly and followed Gandalf as he headed back to the Prancing Pony. Once we were inside, he bid me goodnight, and went to his room, while I slipped off to mine.  
  
----To be continued...with 38% more sporks!----  
(Not to mention Boromir, Faramir and Denethor...)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
My hands really are so cold it almost hurts to type, so this is going to be short and sweet and to the point - thank you to all my reviewers; especially Splendifer and my sister (who I apparently forgot to tell about this fic), everyone who replied to my question in the Author's Note for last chapter (Spry Sprite, TrybalOak and celebren), and all those who noticed that I didn't exclude Legolas from the random Mirkwood Elves (you all get Legolas clones - 'cept for Rinny Leonhart / Rikku, who gets the original 'cuz she was first to notice).  
  
Anywho, now that I've said thank-you, let me repeat what I've said in just about every chapter in every one of my stories (probably even my X-Men ones...): PLEASE REVIEW!!! I appreciate all your reviews incredibly much - unless you're a writer yourself, you probably don't know how GOOD it feels to read a whole pile of nice things said about your writing. As an added incentive, if you give a detailed review (like Aislin's) or catch my attention somehow, I might just write back.  
  
Well, so much for keeping this short and sweet and to the point...  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	18. Trouble REVISED

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I don't own any of the characters or places except Rachel and Kari.  
  
Kari: Ooo, you do remember me!  
  
CS: 'Course I remember you. Just because I haven't mentioned you in a few chapters, and you haven't been in even more chapters, doesn't mean I've forgotten about you. What makes you think I would forget about you?  
  
Kari: You forget what you had for breakfast by supertime the same day. Why should I NOT assume that not mentioning me for a few chapters would cause you to forget me?  
  
CS: ...  
  
Kari: *smirk*  
  
-18: Trouble-  
  
After that visit, during which Gandalf stayed only a few days, and spoke to me no more, Gandalf became a regular at the Prancing Pony. I had decided once again to bank on close proximity with the Dúnedain to allow me to stay somewhat longer in Bree, so I spent 50 years there, and Gandalf and I came to be friends of a sort, though it was based on the understanding that he not probe into my past. I think it frustrated him, actually, to for once not know the entire story behind someone, and was the reason that when I informed him I was leaving Bree, he actually asked me to stay, or perhaps accompany him on his travels. I refused both requests, though I told him to look for me in the south if he ever wanted to find me again. His reply was a curt 'the south is a very big place', and that was the last time we spoke for many years.  
  
I was very much aware, of course, that the War of the Ring was drawing near, and it was about time I figure out where I wanted to be when it happened. I had long ago determined that I was NOT going to live through the War of the Ring without seeing the Fellowship at least once, and preferably Boromir before he set out for his doomed trip to Rivendell, as well. So as I rode on my horse - bought from the Liltalen Ranch with money no one in Bree had thought I had (I'd collected a rather large sum of money over the years) - I considered where to go. I knew that where I decided to be for the War of the Ring, I would go to another kingdom entirely for one lifetime or so before finding my way to where I wanted to be and settling in. There was still 209 years until the forming of the Fellowship, after all.  
  
Eventually, I decided that since, sooner or later, EVERY major player in the War of the Ring passed through Minas Tirith, I would park myself there for the War of the Ring. It would also give me the opportunity to at least see Imrahil of Dol Amroth - someone I'd always been curious about - along with Thorongil - aka, Aragorn. And I would get to speak with Gandalf again.  
  
This decision that I would head to Rohan for a hundred years or so. Rifling around in my memory, I decided that I would leave Rohan and head for Gondor the same year Bilbo was born - 2890. Which left me 81 years to do as I wished in Rohan.  
  
Once my destination was decided, I reached Rohan quite quickly, and - surprisingly - without any trouble from Orcs. I had a feeling that damn Mary-Sue Factor, which had been quiet for far too long, was acting up again. After all, what use was there in me being attacked by Orcs if there was no hero around to rescue me? Unless it wanted to create the in-the-past Orc-rape plot twist. Eurgh. I shuddered at the idea.  
  
I set myself up quite easily in a small town on the borders of Rohan, pretending to be a humble refugee from the north, and set about having a cheerful life back with the people I found so easy to like and relate to. After 40 years, though, I left the town on the pretense of trying to return to the north and find my family, and I made for Meduseld. Once again, I somehow managed to get work in the stables, much to my amusement. It was quite interesting to be poking around the stables and see all the changes, much as it had been interesting to poke around Bree after my 550-some year absence.  
  
Eventually, however, the year 2890 rolled around, and I respectfully informed the Stablemaster that I had received word from family in Bree that I was needed. With a gift of one of the better horses from the stables, I then skedaddled my way west to Minas Tirith. I set my horse free upon arriving in Minas Tirith, not wanting to be recognized from my horse - entirely possible, since Rohan and Gondor still had a fairly close relationship at this point, and I was well-known among those of the Rohirrim inclined to travels. Bad side effect of working in stables.  
  
In Minas Tirith once again, I decided this time to start at the lowest ring of the city, and then go up as high as I could for the War of the Ring. So I got a job in a tavern of the 7th ring of the city - though I really didn't need a job now, with all the money I'd collected over close to 800 years. It's really amazing how much money you can hoard when you don't have to stop working at a certain age or spend the money on taking care of a family. Anyways. I stayed in the 7th ring for 38 years, and then moved up to the 4th ring.  
  
Around this time, things were starting to get nasty in Middle-Earth, the war with Sauron was really picking up. I heard bits and pieces of the news as I worked in a small herb shop, but most of my knowledge of the goings-on of the world came from what I remembered from the Lord of the Rings appendixes, which now seemed such a long ways in my past - though remarkably clear.  
  
I threw a little party for myself on Aragorn's birthday - March 1st, 2931 - and a larger party for most of the people I knew on New Years of 2941/2942, the years Bilbo had his adventure. It made people think I was slightly touched in the head, since I couldn't tell them why I was throwing the parties, but hey, it was fun to do.  
  
It was, however, eventually time for me to go on again, and I knew that my next little change of identity would be the last before the War of the Ring. People were getting too suspicious of strangers, and I was getting too impatient. So, in summer of the same year Frodo was born - 2968 - I 'left' for Dol Amroth and the supposed safety that was there. I left most of my belongings behind, so I had no extra baggage, and then I headed up through the circles of the city, until at last, the guards to the 2nd ring of the city denied me entrance.  
  
I wandered through the streets until I found a dress makers, bought myself a newer, shinier, more expensive dress, chucked my old dress, chucked my headscarf/bandana altogether and did my hair in a way that hid my ear tips, and made for the gates once more. I was admitted without question, all the way up to the palace, where I was able to find a job as Asira, a little-known lady from the north of Gondor, and now lady-in-waiting to some court lady or another. Really, the security in Minas Tirith was horrid - any woman with a pretty face could go just about anywhere as long as they looked the part. It was a good thing Sauron and Saruman never thought of using women as spies or soldiers, because if they had, the War of the Ring would have ended rather quickly in the favour of the bad guys.  
  
Anyways. I settled in as a lady-in-waiting, and though I was horridly bored, I did get news. I also managed to meet 'Thorongil' once or twice, and though I couldn't have any sort of serious conversation with him without giving myself away, I decided that from what I'd seen he was definitely a cool guy, and would make an excellent king. My lady found Gandalf scary, however, so I was unable to speak with him the few times he came to the City. Imrahil was also absent, but as he'd only been born 13 years before I came into my ladies service, it was no surprise that he didn't visit.  
  
As a lady-in-waiting, I also learned how to talk prim and proper, much to my chagrin. I was quite enjoying myself, though, despite all the embroidery and frippery that went on. At least, I enjoyed myself until suddenly, eight years after I came to the palace and became a lady-in-waiting, the lady I was the lady-in-waiting TO (confusing, isn't it?) got sick and died. I was still in shock somewhat from that when I received word that I was to become a lady-in-waiting to the Lady Finduilas, recently arrived from Dol Amroth...and new wife to Denethor, the heir to the Stewardship of Gondor.  
  
The night after I found out about my new mistress, I was no where to be found in the palace. Indeed, I was down in the 6th ring of the city, in the trashiest clothes I could find, getting rip-roaring drunk. I was cursing worst than most of the men in the 7th ring, and I'm pretty sure I got kicked out of at least 4 taverns for rowdy behavior. I was drowning my anger at the Mary-Sue Factor, of course. I knew, without a doubt, that the Mary-Sue Factor was responsible for the timely death of my old mistress, and my new assignment. Whether the Mary-Sue Factor had caused my mistress to actually die, or just stuck me with a lady that was doomed to die, I didn't know - and didn't care.  
  
I was back in the palace the next day, however, calm and cool, showing no signs of my night of drinking due to my Elvish constitution. I was still angry, however, and for the better part of the year, I bonded with none of the members of the new circle of ladies-in-waiting that I found myself in. I think Finduilas was just starting to become worried about me when I suddenly woke up one day and decided that this was shit, and let my anger at the Mary-Sue Factor go. It was just one of those moments when you realize that something you've been worrying about really just isn't worth it. I could do nothing about the Mary-Sue Factor - or at least, didn't want to at this point - so I decided to just ignore it.  
  
I did, however, swear to myself that all admiration (at least in the body aspect) of males recognizable from the 'Lord of the Rings' books would be internal only - in other words, I effectively swore of all the hot men of Middle-Earth. That made me depressed in an entirely different way, but I knew it would effectively keep the Mary-Sue Factor in check.  
  
My recovery was well timed, anyways, as not long afterwards, it was discovered that Finduilas was pregnant. I smiled when I heard the news, realizing that I would more than get my wish to see Boromir before he went to Rivendell and ended out becoming a water-logged pin cushion.  
  
Before I go any further, I should say that I've never wanted children. They've always seemed to annoy the heck out of me, not to mention that I don't feel particularly inclined to put myself through the pain and trouble of pregnancy and labour. But for some reason, when a kid isn't yours, and you watch them from birth, through their childhood, until they grow up, they don't seem so annoying.  
  
I don't know, maybe Boromir - and later, Faramir - just tried particularly hard not to piss me off. I was, by far, the loosest and least prim and proper of all of Finduilas' ladies-in-waiting, and Boromir and Faramir seemed to sense that, gravitating towards me like flies to honey. It might have also had something to do with the fact that I was the youngest looking of all the ladies-in-waiting, but somehow I doubt it.  
  
So, since Boromir and Faramir were already gravitating towards me, I took the opportunity to try and smooth things over between the brothers, especially once Denethor started playing favorites and spoiling Boromir. I also pounded into Boromir's head every chance I got that shields were important. I knew better then to actually get involved and change the future, but I would try to do what I could, dammit. After all, if Boromir carried his shield when he went after Frodo, he'd have it when he was trying to save Merry and Pippin, and shields are really very handy in blocking arrows.  
  
Yes, it was a feeble excuse, but there are some opportunities I can't let slip past. Heck, if I had been in Rivendell around the time Celebrían was going to come back from Lothlorien and get attacked by Orcs, I probably would have tried to change that. Anyways.  
  
Imrahil finally made his first appearance in Minas Tirith (Denethor and Finduilas' wedding had been in Dol Amroth, and my lady unable to attend) in 2980, when he was 25 - and still an eligible bachelor. Finduilas was immediately swarmed with all sorts of new 'friends', trying to get to her brother through her. Disgusted over this behavior, I requested - and was granted - permission to watch over 2-year-old Boromir for the duration of Imrahil's visit.  
  
This led to me being one of the lucky few who actually got to meet and talk to Imrahil when he wasn't sporting his 'court face', as Finduilas called it. The Prince of Dol Amroth was actually a rather funny guy - and damn attractive. If I hadn't sworn off book recognizable males...well, I suppose it's a good thing I had, because Finduilas commented after my first meeting with Imrahil (she'd brought him to see Boromir) that she was glad I hadn't showed an interest in him. She needed a partner. And so I found myself one half of a duo that spent its time helping Imrahil get away from court ladies.  
  
Imrahil and I actually became rather good friends during that visit, especially after I helped him sneak out of the Citadel one night to a tavern in the sixth ring of the city. As many of Imrahil's escort also frequented this same tavern, this earned me the Swan Knight Stamp of Approval. I was almost as sad to see Imrahil leave as Finduilas, in the end, and was right there on the palace steps waiting for him when he returned for a visit shortly after Faramir was born.  
  
After Finduilas died, however, Imrahil did not visit Minas Tirith again. Faramir and Boromir were free to visit him in Dol Amroth, as was I, but I was forced to politely refuse all invitations and remain in Minas Tirith. I didn't know, and wasn't sure I wanted to find out, what effect the sea would have on me now that I was an elf.  
  
Gandalf had, of course, shown up in Minas Tirith during this time, but our old understanding about him not nosing into my past was gone, and I soon took to avoiding him. This, in turn, put me in Denethor's good books, as he liked Saruman more than Gandalf.  
  
Anyways, moving on - Finduilas died in 2988, when Faramir was 5, and Boromir 10. Denethor and I between us comforted the two boys, but it soon turned into me comforting all three males of that family, as Denethor succumbed to his own grief after trying to hold it in for too long. The ladies-in-waiting, no surprise, were no help to me, as they found it absolutely scandalous that I would comfort the Steward. They seemed to have this strange idea that the two boys and their father needed to get past this on their own, otherwise they wouldn't be or become men. Which was complete shit. They needed to work through it themselves, yes, and I couldn't help them with that. But I could be there as a soothing presence when their tears broke loose.  
  
In the end, I'm pretty sure it was my willingness to comfort the Steward and his sons that inevitably led to my staying in the palace, just as much as it led to the strange tend of the ladies in the palace to not want me to be their lady-in-waiting. I probably wouldn't have wanted to work for any of them, anyways. Whatever the reason, I soon found myself as the ONLY female in the personal employ of Denethor and sons.  
  
I think my official title was tutor, but I can't remember ever teaching either Boromir or Faramir anything, other than how to get out of lessons and act innocent. I overheard a Lady commenting once that I was like a surrogate mother to the boys, but I heartily disagree - I had none of the responsibility or concern of a mother. If anything, I was the sister that they didn't have, and that couldn't get in trouble.  
  
Whatever I was to the boys, I enjoyed my time in Minas Tirith with them a great deal. I'm afraid I doted somewhat on Boromir during the last few years before the War of the Ring, but I rationalized it with the fact that he wouldn't be around much longer. It could also have been due to the Mary-Sue Factor, since the events it spawned took me right where I didn't want to go, and where, I realized later, the Mary-Sue Factor was always trying to get me back to.  
  
I was wandering through some of the deserted upper corridors of Minas Tirith in late June of 3018, trying to remember some of the more precise dates about the War of the Ring, when the events began. Boromir had recently returned from Osgiliath, and had seemed somewhat troubled, so I really wasn't all that surprised when he suddenly appeared beside me, falling into step and just walking with me for awhile, his expression thoughtful. As we walked, I mused about what his reaction would be if he knew he was walking beside someone who was trying to remember the dates for when the coming War would turn out as it did. Just as I decided it would probably be shock, followed by curiosity, and then righteous anger when I refused to tell him what would happen, Boromir finally spoke up.  
  
"Asira, do you remember how you once told me that dreams were not always simple images the sleeping mind creates, but messages, either from your own mind, or a higher power?" he asked. I smiled softly. Ah yes, I remembered that piece of advice...I'd given it a good 20 years ago, when Boromir had complained about having strange dreams involving armies of Oliphants and blood-red sunrises. Shortly after, the first Oliphants had been spotted traveling from the south, into Mordor, effectively proving my point.   
  
"Yes, I remember." I said.  
  
"Did...do you, perhaps, know how to tell the difference between the meaningless dreams, and the ones that are telling you something?" Boromir asked with a light frown. I arched an eyebrow and looked at him, suddenly recalling why Boromir had shown up in Rivendell in time for the Council, and knowing where this line of questioning was going.  
  
"Me? No, not really. Usually you should just be able to tell yourself. Dreams that mean something - or are just severely disturbing - will just stick with you." I replied vaguely.  
  
"What about...recurring dreams?" Boromir asked.  
  
"Recurring dreams? I wouldn't say that if you have a dream more than once it necessarily means anything. I once had a dream repeat itself for a week, and it was about the forks and spoons rebelling and taking over Gondor." I replied dryly, and then grinned with amusement as I recalled the dream. That had to have been one of the few times I'd woken up laughing. Boromir just shot me a strange look, though.  
  
"The forks and spoons rebelled and took over Gondor?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, and their leader was a spork." I replied with a nod. There was a pause.  
  
"What is a spork?" I grinned at the expected question.  
  
"A small spoon with fork-like tongs on the end. A combination of a fork and a spoon. Thus, the name 'spork'." I explained. I idly wondered how I could have gone 40 years without telling Boromir about sporks.  
  
"Ah." Boromir said, and then frowned again.  
  
"Why are you asking all this, anyways?" I asked, knowing the answer.  
  
"Uh..." Boromir paused, and then apparently decided to go for broke. "Faramir has been having this dream recently, and it's been repeating itself. It's strange, and he says he can't seem to put it out of his mind. He said he was just going to ignore it, but then I had the same dream, and we both remembered what you said about dreams sometimes meaning something."  
  
"So you got voted to be the one to come ask me about it?" I asked with a grin. Boromir looked back sheepishly.  
  
"Faramir is far my superior in hand-to-hand combat." he said. I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Boys will be boys. What is this dream about?" I asked. Boromir paused, then closed his eyes and stopped walking as he remembered.  
  
"It starts with a wide view of the lands of Gondor, and then the eastern sky grows dark, and there is growing thunder, but in the West a pale light lingers. Out of the light I hear a voice, sounding distant, yet clear all the same, crying out to me." he said.  
  
"And what does it say?" I asked softly.  
  
"Seek for the Sword that was broken:  
In Imladris it dwells;  
There shall be counsels taken  
Stronger than Morgul-spells.  
There shall be shown a token  
That Doom is near at hand,  
For Isildur's Bane shall waken,  
And the Halfling forth shall stand." Boromir quoted softly. I looked at him for a moment.  
  
"I think we had best speak to your father about this." I said finally. Boromir looked at me in surprise.  
  
"Father? Why?" he asked.  
  
"Because he is wise in the lore of Gondor, and while those words just tickle my memory, reminding me of some lesson long forgotten, he might be able to decipher them." I replied. "Come, I believe he is lunching alone today, we can speak with him while we eat." So Boromir and I set off for Denethor's rooms. Along the way, we ran into Faramir, who decided to come along. So Denethor's 'private' lunch ended out being not so private after all, though I don't think he minded - at first.  
  
Boromir and Faramir, between them, told their father of the dream they'd both had. I could tell that Denethor would have dismissed it quickly, if not for the words that they heard, and the fact that they both had the same dream. He understood little of it, of course - he did decipher that Imladris was Rivendell, though. Surprisingly enough. Gondor seemed to be incredibly ignorant about it's own past...of course, part of the little prophecy was dealing with something that happened over 3000 years ago, so I guess they had an excuse. Mortals forget so easily. Eurgh, I sound so Elvish.  
  
"Perhaps in this Rivendell we might find answers to what the dream means." Faramir suggested thoughtfully after Denethor had told them what he knew. I was practically biting my tongue off to keep from speaking up at this point - I never knew how hard it was to just let things go by as they would.  
  
"It is a long journey, by all tales, and most of the roads there are forgotten." Denethor said with a frown. "I could not spare you two for such a journey."  
  
"Father, this dream means something. I know it!" Boromir protested. "And it speaks words of dire warning. If there is someone who can decipher it, then let us seek them out!" I resisted the urge to smirk at the fact that I knew what it meant, and they were contemplating going halfway across Middle-Earth to find out from somebody else.  
  
"No, Boromir, I can not spare either of you!" Denethor said sternly.  
  
"Perhaps this is a case where it would be best to ere on the side of caution, m'Lord." I said softly, simply because I couldn't resist saying something. All three heads turned towards me.  
  
"What do you mean, Asira?" Denethor asked slowly after a moment.  
  
"We do not know if this dream means anything. Perhaps it means nothing. Or perhaps it could change the fate of Middle-Earth. Is it not best to at least try to find out?" I asked. All three men were silent. Then, Faramir and Boromir turned to Denethor with triumphant looks on their faces.  
  
"Very well, we shall send a messenger." Denethor said in annoyance, and Boromir and Faramir's faces fell.  
  
"A messenger would not make it. The north has become a dangerous place. Only a skilled warrior can now survive the journey." I replied flatly.  
  
"And how would you, a Lady who has never left Gondor, know of the dangers of the roads in the north?" Denethor asked, looking even more annoyed.  
  
"I listen." I replied with a serene smile. Boromir and Faramir were looking triumphant again. Denethor thought for a moment, and then snarled in annoyance.  
  
"You are right, as usual, Asira." he said. "But only one of my sons shall go. I will not send both on a fool's errand."  
  
"I shall go." Boromir offered at the same instant as Faramir.  
  
"You choose which one shall go, Asira." Denethor said.  
  
"Me?" I asked, my eyebrows shooting up.  
  
"Yes, you should have the opportunity to choose your own traveling partner." Denethor replied calmly. I choked.  
  
"My WHAT?!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Traveling partner. Since you are so set on one of my sons leaving Gondor, you can accompany whichever one goes on the journey." Denethor said with a slight smirk. While I gaped at him, Boromir and Faramir got righteously indignant on my behalf.  
  
"Father! She is not a warrior! She can not even fight! How is she supposed to survive the journey?" Boromir protested.  
  
"There is no need for her to go." Faramir said.  
  
"She shall go with one of you two, or no one shall go." Denethor said firmly.  
  
"No." I said angrily. "No bloody way. Boromir will bloody well go alone, Denethor." All three men at the table stared at me. My use of swear words - which I used very sparingly - leant meaning to my words. Denethor, however, seemed to only harden his resolve at my protest.  
  
"You shall go, Lady Asira, with Boromir if you so wish. But you shall go." he said icily.  
  
"I shall not." I said stiffly.  
  
"Then you shall be banished." Denethor said calmly. Once more, I gaped while Boromir and Faramir got angry on my behalf.  
  
"Father, you're being unreasonable!" Faramir said.  
  
"Don't bother, Faramir." I said icily, standing abruptly. "I would accept that condition readily, m'Lord Denethor, if I thought that you would still allow Boromir to go. But I have a feeling the only way someone from Gondor shall reach Rivendell with news of your sons dream is if I go with them. So I shall go."  
  
"Asira, you do not have to come." Boromir said soothingly.  
  
"Yes, she does have to go, Boromir." Denethor snapped. It hit me suddenly, that Denethor must have begun looking into the palantír, and his fey mood had begun. I growled slightly as my face darkened.  
  
"I will go, Boromir." I said pointedly, then muttered, unaware that all three men could here me, as I turned and left, "I would rather go back to Rivendell then stay around you and your fey mood, anyways."  
  
----To be continued...with angry!Glorfindel!----  
(Not to mention other glowy elves...)  
  
-Author's Note:-  
I wrote the last sentence of this story today. I haven't written the chapters inbetween here and that sentence, but I wrote the last sentence all the same...Does anyone besides me find that slightly odd? I've never had a story that I KNEW where it was going to go so strongly that i could do that. Is very very odd.  
  
And to my reviewers, I say that y'all rock! And since this chapter boasts the return to Rivendell, y'all get random Rivendell Elves. Unfortunately, since Elrond seems to have found and remembered how to use his sword from the Last Alliance, random Rivendell Elves does NOT include any of the main characters from the book...though Elladan and Glorfindel DID offer to be included in the random Rivendell Elves despite that. Unfortunately, Elrond forbid Elladan to do so, and Rachel sat (and is still sitting) on Glorfindel, thereby voiding his offer...  
  
So for everybody else who hasn't reviewed, remember - you can get random elves if you review! And only you can prevent forest fires! Unless you're a flamer. Then only you can cause story fires. Heh, I feel so clever...(it's the little things in life that amuse me)  
  
~Crimson Starlight  
  
-Revision's Author's Note:-  
It's been bugging me how little I mentioned Gandalf and all the other inhabitants of Minas Tirith and Gondor in general in this chapter, so I added a whole bunch of stuff about Imrahil, Gandalf and Thorongil in the middle, and a bit at the beginning. This lead to a slight revision of Chapter 23, where I had to delete a mention of rachel's encounters with Gandalf that my revisions to this chapter have no longer made accurate. Also, I re-wrote the last paragraph of this chapter, because it was annoying me.  
  
~CS 


	19. Rivendell REVISED

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own nothing, and do not claim to own anything, so shoo!  
  
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CS: No, wait - that didn't come out right - I own nothing, and do not claim to own anything, so all the LAWYERS can shoo. All my readers can come back now!  
  
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CS: Please?  
  
Rachel: *shakes head* You need help.  
  
CS: I already have help.  
  
Rachel: You need more.  
  
-19: Rivendell-  
  
Late that same day, I was standing at the top of the citadel, in the court containing the White Tree, watching the sun set, when I felt Faramir approach. He stepped up beside me and watched the sun set in silence, but I could tell he dearly wanted to say something, and I waited for him to speak first. And as the sky slowly began to darken, he did speak.  
  
"Why Boromir?" was all he asked, and I smiled slightly. I had expected this. Faramir was absolutely in awe of Elves, whereas Boromir couldn't care less about them. I knew this - and now that a chance had come to go see Elves, and I had been given the choice of which of them to take, I'd taken Boromir. It really didn't take a genius to realize that Faramir, at least, would want an explanation of why I chose who I chose.  
  
"Because it is his fate." I said, continuing to watch the sun set.  
  
"How do you know what his fate is?" Faramir asked, annoyance in his voice.  
  
"You are not the only one who dreams, m'boy." I said, giving him a pointed look. "Boromir's fate is to go to Rivendell and receive the council of the Elves. Yours is to stay here and defend your kingdom."  
  
"But why?" Faramir asked, his frustration clear. "Boromir would do a much better job of defending Gondor, and I would dearly love to go see the Elves!" I smiled kindly as I turned from the sunset and looked at Faramir.  
  
"Who knows?" I replied. "Who knows why fate works in the way it does? Certainly not I. But I would not be so quick to assume that Boromir could defend Gondor better than you."  
  
"Why wouldn't he? He has the skills, and the strategy - and father's blessing." Faramir said bitterly.  
  
"And men will follow you to their death." I said. "You can make men follow you where Boromir would not dare to even try." Faramir sighed.  
  
"I still do not see why Boromir gets to go to Rivendell when I do not." he said, then added as I opened my mouth, "Besides fate."  
  
"I would think fate would be reason enough." I said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"It would, but...I have the strangest feeling that if Boromir goes, I shall never see him again." Faramir said with a sigh. "It makes no sense, as Boromir is one of the best warriors out there, but the feeling has set me on edge."  
  
"Ah." I said, trying desperately to hide the emotions that stirred up. Judging from Faramir's curious look, however, I didn't succeed entirely. I sighed. "Who knows what fate has in store for Boromir? All I know is that it is his fate to go to Rivendell, not yours." There was silence for a moment, and then I turned and made to leave.  
  
"He won't return, will he?" Faramir's question stopped me in my tracks halfway to the White Tree. I smiled sadly as I looked back at him - I never could lie to Faramir.  
  
"No." I said simply, and immediately regretted the word - though I could have said nothing else - as I saw Faramir's grief. "But he will achieve great things." I added softly, and turned and quickly left. Faramir had asked for the knowledge, now he would have to come to grips with it himself. I had helped him with his grief over his mother, but this grief was his and his alone to deal with.  
  
It took several days for Boromir and me to get ready to leave, and I stayed as far away from Denethor as I could manage in the days it took. Eventually, however, on July 4th - much to my amusement - Boromir and I set out from Minas Tirith. Everything went fine and dandy for the first few weeks of travel, but then we entered the north, and I discovered that Boromir and company had heard my statment about returnng to Rivendell.  
  
"So where do we go now?" Boromir asked one morning just as we were to set out. He had long ago admitted that he had no idea where to go in the north.  
  
"North?" I suggested.  
  
"More specifics would be nice." Boromir said dryly.  
  
"Well, I don't have any more specifics than you." I said in annoyance, still touchy on the subject of just where we were going.  
  
"You've been there before; I'd hope you would have more specifics." Boromir said. I started, and looked at Boromir with alarm that I quickly changed into a strange look.  
  
"I have not been to Rivendell before." I said.  
  
"Then why did you say you'd rather go BACK to Rivendell?" Boromir asked, arching an eyebrow. I paled.  
  
"You heard that?" I whispered. Boromir nodded impatiently.  
  
"Yes, we all did." he said.  
  
"Aw crap." I said, wrinkling my nose. "That wasn't supposed to happen." Boromir looked at me in amusement.  
  
"You know, until this trip came along, I had never heard you swear before. Now you're swearing like a soldier. Wherever did you learn such language?" Boromir asked.  
  
"Drinking binge in the 6th ring of the city." I replied honestly. "And numerous other taverns." Boromir's eyebrows shot up.  
  
"Why do I suddenly get the feeling that there's more to you then meets the eye?" Boromir asked ruefully.  
  
"There is." I replied. "And not all of it is pleasant. Come, let's go. Might as well get to Rivendell and get this over with." So we headed for Rivendell, taking the most direct route I knew - which was, of course, through Bree. Resigned, now, to where I was going, I took some morbid amusement in staying at the Prancing Pony. Boromir didn't understand my amusement, and I just told him I'd explain later. If I got the chance. Amused with myself once again, I started chuckling, and Boromir was left to look at me in utter confusion.  
  
We stayed at the Prancing Pony one night, and then set off for Rivendell at first light, on new horses from the Liltalen Ranch. Yep, it was still around. Some things endure far too long. It was the 20th of September when we left the Prancing Pony, and we arrived in Rivendell on the 6th of October - several weeks early, but I doubted it would make a difference.  
  
I was resigned to meeting someone I knew in Rivendell, so I made no effort to hide my face when we arrived, but to my amazement, I was spared - at least for the first night. When Boromir and I dined with Lord Elrond, I found out that Elladan and Elrohir were out with the Rangers, Kari was in Lothlorien, and Glorfindel was incredibly busy with work. This set me to grinning the entire evening, which started Boromir complaining that I wasn't telling him anything. I ignored him.  
  
I knew if I could just stay away from Glorfindel for the next three days, I wouldn't have to worry about him until Frodo arrived in Rivendell. My luck, however, was tired of holding. The next day, Boromir and I were invited to the main hall of Rivendell for supper, and the instant I stepped in, I knew I was in trouble. Sitting next to Elrond, frowning thoughtfully at his food, was a very familiar golden-haired Elf-Lord. I unconsciously sucked in a breath, half because I suddenly realized how hard it was going to be to keep up my swear-off of the Hot Guys of Middle-Earth, and half out of fear.  
  
"Asira?" Boromir asked with curiosity.  
  
"Come, let us take our seats." I said briskly, hoping to get to our seats before Glorfindel could look up and notice me. Unfortunately, at that moment, Glorfindel looked up, and after glancing over Boromir, looked straight at me. Even across the room, I could see him stiffen, and we locked eyes. I saw his lips move, and I knew he had said my name, especially when Elrond turned to his friend with concern. Boromir, oblivious to what was going on, nudged me forward, and at that point, Elrond pulled his attention away from Glorfindel and directed it towards us.  
  
"Ah, Lord Boromir, Lady Asira. Come, you must meet Lord Glorfindel." Elrond said solemnly.  
  
"Indeed." Glorfindel said, a strange look in his eyes. "I am very eager to meet our guests from Gondor." I followed Boromir as he made his way towards the head table, doing my best to hide in his shadow. Glorfindel was still looking at me, and it was making me nervous. Regardless of Glorfindel and me, Elrond introduced Boromir and me to Glorfindel, and then we took our seats.  
  
Throughout the rest of the meal, I could practically feel Glorfindel's eyes burning into me, and several times Boromir had to pointedly ask me if my chair was uncomfortable, as I squirmed so much. I felt as if the meal couldn't end soon enough, and yet, at the same time, I never wanted it to end, as I knew that Glorfindel would corner me afterwards. I decided to stick by Boromir and hope Glorfindel wouldn't approach me around the man.  
  
After the meal, I hoped to make a quick getaway, but Boromir, not understanding my rush, was very slow, stopping to talk to what seemed like every Elf in the room. And suddenly, Glorfindel was standing in front of Boromir and me, smiling politely, though the smile did not reach his eyes.  
  
"If I may, Lord Boromir, do you think it would be possible for me to steal the Lady Asira away from you for a short while?" Glorfindel asked politely.  
  
"I see no problem with it. Asira?" Boromir looked at me questioningly as I gripped his arm tightly.  
  
"I would rather stay with you, Boromir." I said tightly. Boromir looked at me in surprise.  
  
"Asira..." he started, frowning, but Glorfindel cut him off.  
  
"I do not have time for games." he snapped. "Rachel, come." I pursed my lips and glared at Glorfindel. Boromir was looking thoroughly confused, and slightly affronted that Glorfindel had the nerve to command me to do anything. For, though Glorfindel had used a different name than Boromir knew, there was no doubt that the command was directed to me.  
  
"Oh fine." I said finally, and I let go and stalked after Glorfindel - who was also stalking. I imagined we must have made quite the sight, both stalking across the hall of Rivendell. Elrond certainly noticed and followed. Glorfindel gave the Elf-lord a glare to clear off, but Elrond determinedly fell into step behind us as we headed through the winding halls of Rivendell. It took us so long to get to where we were going, I wondered if we were going to Glorfindel's study. My wondering was proved to be fact as we passed behind a familiar wall hanging, and shortly thereafter, arrived in the familiar greenhouse/arena/study.  
  
"Glorfindel, what -" Elrond started once we were stopped, but Glorfindel cut him off, turning his burning gaze on me, apparently not even noticing that Elrond was talking.  
  
"WHY?" Glorfindel demanded.  
  
"Why what?" I asked calmly in reply.  
  
"Why did you do it? Why did you leave?" Glorfindel elaborated impatiently.  
  
"Because." I said.  
  
"That is not an answer!" Glorfindel snapped.  
  
"You wouldn't believe the answer if I told you!" I snapped back.  
  
"Try me!" Glorfindel said. I snorted.  
  
"That has to be the most predictable line ever." I said. Glorfindel rolled his eyes.  
  
"Stop changing the subject. WHY DID YOU LEAVE?" Glorfindel practically roared the last part, and I couldn't help but flinch.  
  
"Ai, I think you picked up a few things from that Balrog." I said. Glorfindel shot me a scathing look.  
  
"I will show you just how much I picked up if you do not answer." he said.  
  
"How about if I say I was afraid of becoming a monster of unbelievable proportions that could cause the collapse of your entire universe?" I asked, cocking my head to one side. Glorfindel stared at me. At this point, Elrond chose to butt in.  
  
"What are you two going on about?" he asked. Glorfindel shot Elrond an annoyed look, and opened his mouth to answer, but I beat him to it.  
  
"I'm afraid I haven't been totally honest with you, Lord Elrond, on my current visit, or on my previous one." I said.  
  
"Previous visit? I do not recall you ever visiting Rivendell before." Elrond said in surprise.  
  
"Ah, that's because of the afore mentioned dishonesty." I replied with a smile, and then swept Elrond a low curtsey. "Miss Rachel Taherity of Australia, Earth, recently immigrated to Middle-Earth and Elf-ized, at your service." Elrond blinked.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"Surely you remember Rachel, m'Lord?" Glorfindel asked with amusement. Elrond turned to Glorfindel and blinked again.  
  
"Of course I do. How can I forget the one Elf to ever commit suicide in Rivendell?" Elrond said blankly.  
  
"See, that's where you're wrong." I said with a frown. "Though I must say, I'm flattered I managed to convince you I was dead. I didn't think I'd be able to pull it off." Poor Elrond was getting very pale.  
  
"What?" he asked again. I sighed.  
  
"Elrond, I am the one and very same Rachel that arrived in Rivendell over 800 years ago with Kari." I said.  
  
"You can not be." Elrond said automatically. "You do not even look the same."  
  
"Ah yes, that was a result of some...interesting events." I said with a frown. "But Glorfindel, and Kari, can attest that I am indeed Rachel." Silence fell.  
  
"Glorfindel, don't you keep a flask of miruvor somewhere in here?" Elrond asked, slowly turning his head to look at Glorfindel. Amused, Glorfindel nodded. "Would you be so kind as to get it for me?" Glorfindel complied, and Elrond promptly downed just about the entire flask in five seconds flat. "I am going to bed. Sort this out and explain it to me in the morning." Elrond announced, and then left the room. Glorfindel and I watched him go with equal amusement. Once he was gone, however, we turned back to each other solemnly.  
  
"A monster that can destroy the universe?" Glorfindel asked curiously, and with a sigh, I set about explaining Mary-Sues.  
  
"So you left because you were afraid of becoming one of these 'Mary-Sue' creatures?" Glorfindel asked with a frown once I was finished.  
  
"Yep." I said with a nod. "Still am afraid of becoming one, in fact. I plan on leaving here as quickly as I can and getting away from Elves, who, since I am one, I am quite sure are the cause for me turning into a Mary-Sue."  
  
"Why?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"I believe we've established that? Mary-Sues are horrible creatures that can destroy a universe, remember?" I replied, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"No, why are you so afraid of becoming one?" Glorfindel asked, frowning once again. "I mean, I can understand the destroying the universe being a large part of it, but you say that many others from your world would jump at the chance to become these 'Mary-Sue's, despite the consequences. So why do you not?" I sighed.  
  
"Because, Glorfindel, I want to be accepted for who I am. I have also always loved Middle-Earth and all relating to it, and do not want to see it destroyed." I said. Glorfindel paused.  
  
"If that is true, then somehow I find it very hard to believe that you would turn into one of these 'Mary-Sue' creatures. Unless someone is put to torture, they cannot become a thing of evil unless they choose to." he said.  
  
"See, that's the problem. Mary-Sues aren't TECHNICALLY evil. What they do, they do out of love...no, scratch that, they do it out of lust, as well as admiration, and are completely unaware that they are doing it." I replied. Glorfindel blinked.  
  
"So these Mary-Sues destroy the world with their lust for it?" he asked eventually, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Or those in it, yep." I answered.  
  
"So why is Middle-Earth still here?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"Pardon?" I asked with a blink.  
  
"From what you have told me, according to your standards, Alkarisil has become the very epitome of a Mary-Sue. So why is Middle-Earth still here?" Glorfindel elaborated.  
  
"Because..." I paused, thinking, and then frowned slightly. "You know, I really don't know."  
  
"Perhaps she is not actually a Mary-Sue?" he suggested.  
  
"First you say she is a Mary-Sue, and then you suggest she isn't. Make up your mind." I complained after a moment spent trying to figure out what on earth he meant.  
  
"I am saying that perhaps what you regard as a Mary-Sue is not exactly true." Glorfindel said. "Or that perhaps what you view as a Mary-Sue is correct, but what Kari has turned into, and you were turning into, is NOT a Mary-Sue."  
  
"You lost me, buddy." I said blankly. Glorfindel sighed.  
  
"Is it possible that perhaps all these 'Mary-Sue' occurrences that you mention are nothing more than the Valar trying to help you and Kari fit into Middle-Earth?" he said. "That perhaps your journey to Middle-Earth was not just some random 'freak accident', as you called it, but a carefully planned transference of you and Kari from one world to another, executed by the Valar?" I spent several minutes staring at Glorfindel.  
  
"Did Elrond finish that miruvor?" I asked finally.  
  
"Not quite." Glorfindel said with amusement. I snatched the flask from the ground where Elrond had dropped it and downed the remaining contents.  
  
"Now, repeat that?" I asked, plunking myself down on the ground. Glorfindel sat down across from me and repeated what he'd said, as requested.  
  
"Life is far too confusing." I said wearily when Glorfindel finished. "And I imagine it doesn't start making any more sense no matter how long you live."  
  
"No, it doesn't." Glorfindel said with a small smile. "Though you do learn a few things."  
  
"Like?" I asked.  
  
"Drinking Dorwinnian wine in great quantities is not smart." Glorfindel replied seriously, and then added thoughtfully, "But it is fun." I looked at him for a moment, and then started cackling. Glorfindel watched me with amusement.  
  
"You're great, Glory." I said when I had calmed down somewhat, hoisting myself to my feet. I swayed unsteadily for a moment while Glorfindel looked amused that I'd remembered the nickname I'd given him all those many years ago, but then I got my balance back, and nodded emphatically in approval at doing so. "I'm going to bed."  
  
"Can you find your way to your room?" Glorfindel asked, also standing.  
  
"Nope." I replied cheerfully. "But I should get there if I wander around and ask for directions enough. Might take a few hours, though."  
  
"I'll walk you back." Glorfindel said.  
  
"Once again, you're great." I said, and latched onto Glorfindel's arm as we went through the corridors of Rivendell.  
  
----To be continued...with lots and lots of talking...----  
(Blasted soon-to-be pin-cushions and Elf-lord's sons, all needing explainations...)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Hey, I actually managed to update today! I wasn't sure I was going to be able to, even though I had this chapter finished. I am SO darn busy it's not funny. I am never letting my mother sign me up for so many classes ever again. . I have no time to reeeeeeeead! And barely any to write! All I can say is, thank GOD for spell-check...  
  
Anyways, y'all know the drill - thank you for reviewing, even if I have to sneak onto the computer and get my mother mad at me to do so, I always love reading each and every review I get. So, be good sports and review some more! If you do, I'll try and update two more chapters this week...depending on whether I get the time to upload.  
  
~Crimson Starlight  
  
-Revision's Author's Note:-  
Added a little scene with Faramir at the beginning!  
  
~CS 


	20. Explaining

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own nothing. At least, I won't until I sprout wings and fly around in the Cracks of Doom in Mount Doom and snatch the Ring from Gollum even as he's falling...then I'll own the One Ring! Muhahahahahahahaha!  
  
Glorfindel: You realize all of us would have to kill you if you did that.  
  
CS: I'm mail-ordering an army of Orcs from Saruman before I grow wings. You won't be able to touch me.  
  
Rachel: The hobbits will.  
  
CS: Did I mention I'm going to grow a bunch, too? I'll be able to STEP on the hobbits.  
  
Kari: But you won't be able to block their pleading little puppy-dog faces from your mind ever again.  
  
CS: ...damn, you're right.  
  
Hobbits: Muhahahahahahahaha!  
  
Kari: Er, hobbits laughing evilly...  
  
Glorfindel: That's rather scary.  
  
Rachel: Right, let's squash 'em!   
  
(Please note that Crimson Starlight has nothing against hobbits and has never had an even slightly serious urge to injure any of them - except maybe the Sackville-Bagginses.) (Is Crimson Starlight afraid of Hobbit fangirls? Hell yes.)  
  
-20: Explaining-  
  
I woke to someone pounding on my door, and with a groan of tiredness, I hauled myself out of bed, threw on a dressing robe, and opened the door. Boromir was standing there, looking somewhat annoyed. I blinked at him.  
  
"Whassup?" I asked. Somehow, my return to Rivendell seemed to have made me revert to my former way of speaking, and Boromir now had to stop and blink as he deciphered what I'd asked.  
  
"I want to know what is going on." Boromir said once he figured it out.  
  
"What part of what's going on do you want to know?" I asked as I yawned and rubbed my face in an attempt to wake up. I had to be just about the only Elf that had trouble waking up.  
  
"I would like to know why Lord Glorfindel wished to speak with you last night, why he called you by another name, and why Lord Elrond joined you and Lord Glorfindel in your talk." Boromir replied. I blinked.  
  
"In other words, what did I do the last time I was in Rivendell?" I said. Boromir nodded. "Give me a few minutes to dress, then we can go get some food, and go for a walk during which I'll explain everything to you. Unless Glory or Lord Elrond want to talk to me again. You're free to bop them if they do." Boromir paused.  
  
"Glory?" he asked in confusion.  
  
"Sorry, Lord Glorfindel." I replied, yawning again. "That sound ok?" Boromir nodded, and I shut the door in his face before going and getting changed into one of my more Elvish-styled dresses. I considered my hair and ears for a moment, then, with a grin, imitated the two simple braids Legolas sported in the 'Lord of the Rings' movies, letting my ears show in all their pointy glory. Boromir was going to find out anyways when I told him my little story. I could have lied and crunched the times a bit, of course, but hey, the guy was going to be dead in around 4 months, might as well tell him the truth. That was actually quite a depressing thought...  
  
Boromir was waiting in the hallway when I emerged from my room, and at first, he didn't even register my ears as we walked to the main hall for some breakfast. Suddenly, however, he stopped short, gaping at my ears.  
  
"I'll explain after breakfast." I said with a smile. Boromir nodded, looking somewhat dazed, and didn't start walking again until I gave him a little push. When we reached the main hall, we discovered that we were just slightly early for the main part of breakfast. With a little cajoling on my part, and a timely arrival of Glorfindel, Boromir and I managed to get our breakfast early, along with Glorfindel.  
  
"I see you have stopped hiding your race." Glorfindel commented as we started eating.  
  
"Yeah, there's really no point." I replied. "I'm going to tell Boromir everything after breakfast, anyways. And to tell the truth, I have always loathed having my ears covered, even before I came to Rivendell."  
  
"Maybe it was a sign that you should not cover them." Glorfindel said dryly.  
  
"Everything's a sign to you." I said, making a face. "I'm almost glad you're going to be disappearing for a week or so." Glorfindel arched an eyebrow.  
  
"How did you..." he started, then paused, as if he'd just remembered something. "Right." he said after a moment. I smiled mischievously.  
  
"So you are the one going out?" I asked. Glorfindel blinked, and nodded. "Good, Kari will be happy."  
  
"I thought you knew for certain...?" Glorfindel asked in confusion.  
  
"Some parts, yes, but there were two different versions at home. Kari and I didn't know which one would be happening. This is good, though, that means Haldir won't be dieing anytime soon." I said, ending thoughtfully.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Boromir finally asked, utterly bewildered. I smiled and patted his hand.  
  
"Something I will not be telling you about." I replied.  
  
"You said you would -" Boromir started in annoyance, but I cut him off.  
  
"Explain what I did in Rivendell the last time I was here, not my entire life." I said. "If you want to hear about my past, you're going to have to accept the bits that I tell you, because otherwise you won't be hearing any of it. I can not tell you everything. Not only would it be longer than I care to tell, but it would be dangerous for you to know." Boromir hesitated, and then nodded. "Good. Now shall we go for our walk? You're welcome to come and put in your two cents, Glory."  
  
"No thanks, I have things to do before I leave." Glorfindel replied with a smile as we all stood. We all left the hall just as breakfast was supposed to normally start, and Glorfindel said goodbye to Boromir and me outside of the hall before heading off on his own.  
  
"Let's go outside, shall we? I don't get lost so easily out there." I said, nodding towards where I knew the closest exit was. Boromir nodded, and we left the buildings of Rivendell.  
  
"First off," I started once Boromir and I were outside walking, "You have to understand that I am over 900 years old, and everything I am about to tell you happened when I was close to half your age." Boromir nodded. "Alright, here's what happened..." And I set into a convoluted description of how Kari and I came from another land, far away, and appeared outside of Rivendell one day with no idea how we got there, spent several days in Rivendell, then I realized I had been cursed to turn into something so powerful it could destroy the world if I stayed in Rivendell, and thus I left, faking my own death so nobody in Rivendell would come looking for me. It was actually a rather nice tale, if I said so myself. It certainly made Boromir silent for quite some time.  
  
"So you will be wanting to head back to Gondor as quickly as possible?" Boromir asked finally.  
  
"Yeah, though there's no rush unless I start growing or my hair starts turning blonde." I replied. Boromir nodded, frowning thoughtfully.  
  
"Still, I think I shall seek out Lord Elrond this afternoon and ask him about the dream." he said.  
  
"Wait for awhile. A time will come soon enough when you will be able to tell of your dream and have a good portion of it explained to you. You're liable to just get riddles as answers now, anyways." I said. Boromir looked at me again, this time suspiciously.  
  
"That is the second time you have done that." he said.  
  
"Done what?" I asked in reply.  
  
"Spoken as if you know the future." Boromir replied. I paused.  
  
"Crap." I said. "Didn't even realize it. Must be that stupid curse acting up again." Boromir arched an eyebrow.  
  
"The curse tells you of the future?" he asked.  
  
"Uh...sure." I replied, suddenly realizing that this conversation was not heading in a very good direction. Fortunately, at that point, it became apparent that Boromir and I had wandered near the entrance of Rivendell, and I was saved from further comment by the sound of someone galloping in. Curious, and wanting to see someone get chewed out by Elrond or Glorfindel for galloping into Rivendell, I dragged Boromir over to where the sound of a galloping horse had come from. I arrived shortly after Lord Elrond to see two cloaked and hooded Elven riders just dismounting.  
  
"Do you have a reason this time?" Elrond asked with a sigh, to my confusion.  
  
"Of course not, father." one of the Elven riders said, and both riders threw back their hoods to reveal the identical faces of Elrond's sons. Elrond noticed me and Boromir at that point and gave me a pointed look, letting me know that he considered Elladan and Elrohir's galloping into Rivendell to be all my fault. I grinned. Elrohir and Elladan, curious as to who their father was giving such a pointed look, turned towards us with curiosity. I discovered that, once again, I could not tell the two of them apart. Cheap purple dye, wearing off after 800 years. Fortunately, however, their reactions to me gave away which was which - the gaping one was Elladan, and the confused and curious one was Elrohir.  
  
"Wonderful to see you two again!" I said cheerily, bouncing over the two twins.  
  
"Again? I do not recall ever having met you before..." Elrohir said, looking even more confused.  
  
"I do." Elladan said, sounding dazed. "But what are you, a serving woman, doing here? For that matter, what were you doing as a serving woman if you are an Elf?"  
  
"Having the time of my life!" I replied with a grin. "I'll get Glory after lunch to help me explain to you, since I'm tired of explaining it all myself." Elrohir made a choking sound and looked at me with wide eyes.  
  
"'Glory'?!" he practically squeaked. I smiled serenely, then gave a little wave and headed back over to Boromir.  
  
"Wanna see the horses?" I asked. Boromir nodded warily, apparently slightly scared by this new part of my personality that was emerging, and I latched onto his arm and dragged him off to see the horses, leaving two stunned Half-Elves (ok, Three-Quarter-Elves) behind.  
  
I showed Boromir around Rivendell for most of the morning, then, as promised, after lunch I grabbed Glorfindel - who had originally just emerged from his study long enough to eat - and the twins and went off to the Glorfindel's oh so popular study. Glorfindel seemed extremely annoyed that I was making him sit in on this little explanation, but truth be told, I wanted him there more for my own protection than anything else. Elrohir would have the anger of two - both him and Kari - ready to let loose, and who knew WHAT Elladan was going to do.  
  
"I still do not remember ever having met you before." Elrohir said in confusion once we were all settled in Glorfindel's study.  
  
"You have." I said, bouncing slightly.  
  
"Where?" Elrohir asked.  
  
"Here. Well, not this exact spot, but it was in Rivendell." I replied.  
  
"Get to the point." Glorfindel said, rolling his eyes. "I do not have all afternoon."  
  
"Tough, I do. But, you have sharp pointy things, so get to the point I shall." I said. I turned to Elladan, who was looking at me curiously.  
  
"First off. Yes, I did have Liltalen." I said. Elladan's eyebrows shot up.  
  
"That was established a long time ago, but it is nice to have you confirm it." he said.  
  
"And now you probably want to know how I knew the stallion's name?" I asked. Elladan nodded.  
  
"That was puzzling." he said.  
  
"Simple. I named him." I replied. Elrohir and Elladan stared at me.  
  
"You did NOT!" Elladan exploded after a moment, looking very very angry. I eyed the distance between me and Glorfindel, preparing to dash behind the golden-haired Elf Lord if needed. Glorfindel, catching my gaze, looked extremely amused as he realized the main reason I'd asked - OK, forced - him to be there.  
  
"I did." I said.  
  
"Rachel named that stallion." Elrohir said with a scowl, putting a hand on his twins shoulder to hold him back from attacking me. "I was there, I saw it. I do not know who you are, but this is the most blatant lie I have ever heard."  
  
"No it is not." both twins' heads snapped towards Glorfindel when he spoke.  
  
"How can you say that, Glorfindel?" Elladan demanded. "Rachel named Liltalen, and then died!"  
  
"Uh, no she didn't. Die, that is." I said.  
  
"How would you know?" Elladan snarled.  
  
"Because I've died before, and I would think I would notice if I did it again." I replied, arching my eyebrows, sounding a lot more confident then I felt. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that, while he hadn't changed position, Glorfindel looked as if he was ready to spring in between the twins and me at any moment.  
  
"We're not talking about you, we're talking about Rachel." Elladan said angrily.  
  
"Same thing." I said with a shrug. Elladan took another step towards me, his fists clenched, but Elrohir, a thoughtful look on his face, rested a hand on his twins arm to hold him back.  
  
"What exactly do you mean by that? Are you saying that you ARE Rachel?" Elrohir asked after a moment, peering at me.  
  
"Indeedily do." I replied.  
  
"Impossible. You don't even look like Rachel. Elrohir, how can you even consider these lies for an instant?" Elladan asked angrily, turning to his brother.  
  
"Because Kari once told me that Rachel used to look much different before they came to Rivendell." Elrohir said, looking at me intently. "Of course, she was drunk at the time, but I do not think she was lying."  
  
"Kari got drunk? Man I'm sorry I missed that." I said with a grin.  
  
"She got drunk because she was struggling with her grief at your supposed death." Elrohir said with a scowl.  
  
"Ah, all for a good cause, then." I said. Elrohir's scowl deepened. "Look, I wouldn't have done it if I hadn't thought I had no other choice."  
  
"I can not believe you believe her." Elladan mumbled to his twin under his breath, though we all heard him.  
  
"You had better believe it, Elladan." Glorfindel said gravely. "It is true. As is the tale she has to tell of why she did what she did."  
  
"I knew I brought you for a reason." I said to Glorfindel.  
  
"You wanted to use my study?" Glorfindel suggested.  
  
"Good side effect, yeah." I said. "But, now, do you two want to hear the wildest tale you'll ever hear?" Elrohir and Elladan looked at each other, then back at me and nodded. So, for the second time that day, I explained about where I'd come from. It was, of course, a different story than the one I'd told Boromir - I wasn't quite sure how Boromir would have handled the truth, but, thanks to Glorfindel, I knew that Elf brains wouldn't break at the truth. I did leave out a few things, though - mainly Kari and Tolkien's writings. Elrohir asked if Kari had been with me on Earth, of course, but I just answered vaguely and said that most of my life before I came to Middle-Earth had faded beyond recall. And somehow, probably thanks to the infernal Mary-Sue Factor, Elrohir didn't seem to put all the other little clues - like Kari's knowledge of my different appearance, and our made-up language - together and figure out for himself that yes, Kari was with me before we came to Middle-Earth.  
  
Eventually, around mid-afternoon, I finished my tale, and Elrohir and Elladan were done asking questions. While they still looked very annoyed with me, though they assured me they understood why I had done what I'd done, they politely said goodbye, and left. Well, Elladan did. Elrohir went a few steps down the hallway, then paused and turned to look at me where I was standing in Glorfindel's study door.  
  
"Kari's going to be furious when she finds out." he said matter-of-factly.  
  
"As long as she has no sharp objects within reach when she does so, all will be well." I replied sagely, and Elrohir chuckled before wandering off, leaving me in Glorfindel's study. It wasn't until he was gone that I remembered I needed someone to help me get back without getting lost. I went back into Glorfindel's study and turned to Glorfindel to see him bending over his desk, scribbling away furiously at some document or report or something.  
  
"Uh, Glory..." I started.  
  
"Find your own way back or stay here until either someone comes or I am not busy." Glorfindel said without looking up. I sighed and contemplated whether or not I felt like getting lost in Rivendell. In the midst of my contemplating, I got distracted by a really cool plant, and after about ten minutes of inspecting it, I realized that I could find enough to occupy myself in Glorfindel's study - especially with the shiny weapons behind him - until someone was able to help me get back to the parts of Rivendell I knew my way around.  
  
----To be continued...with Boromir's Pride making an appearance!----  
(Silly Boromir!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Well, here's yet more proof that reviewing is good - I was going to update last night, but I didn't remember until I got up this morning and read some of my reviews. So, proof that reviewing WILL get you more chapters.  
  
Anywho, thanks to all my reviewers, you all rock! (especially the last 3 reviewers/4 reviews who reminded me, albeit unintentionally, to update) And for everyone who reviews this chapter, you get...hmm...a copy of your choice of one of the Elven rings of power!  
  
Now, off to school with me...  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	21. Scoldings

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own nothing.  
  
Random Lawyer: Then all your books and belongings are free for the taking! Muhahahaha! *steals Crimson Starlight's stuff*  
  
CS: Hey! *runs after* *trips over a rock and falls on her face* *random elephant steps on Crimson Starlight*  
  
Rachel, Glorfindel, and the entire cast of The Games of the Gods: ...O.o  
  
CS: I hate Mondays.  
  
-21: Scoldings-  
  
"Aren't you finished YET?" I whined for what seemed the thousandth time.   
  
"No." Glorfindel's reply was typical, and I growled in annoyance before stomping over to the window. The sun had set about an hour ago, and I was STILL in Glorfindel's study with no way to get back to my rooms without getting lost. Which was not something I wanted to do normally, let alone in the dark. I could have stared at Glorfindel, of course, and had a drool-fest doing so, but Glorfindel had an uncanny knack for knowing when I was looking at him, and all my staring and drooling was, through my own rules, supposed to be known only to myself. So now I was glaring miserably out over Rivendell, feeling very hungry and very close to heading off and getting lost. Before I could, however, there was a knock on the door. I was at the door and had it open before Glorfindel could say "Come in."  
  
"Yo, Lord Elrond." I said cheerily. Elrond arched an eyebrow at me, and I said by way of an explanation, "I don't know what you're here for, nor do I care, but when you leave, you're showing me back to a part of Rivendell I recognize."  
  
"Glorfindel, have you been keeping Lady Asira here all afternoon?" Elrond asked with a frown, turning to Glorfindel.  
  
"No." Glorfindel replied. I gaped at him, and he arched an eyebrow at me. "RACHEL has been staying here out of her own volition. She could have left any time she wanted to."  
  
"And gotten so lost I would have ended up in Hobbiton before realizing I was going the wrong way." I said with a snort, then turned back to Elrond and said, "You need to put up signs or hand out maps or something." Elrond looked at me in amusement.  
  
"There was no need until you came to visit." he said. I mock glared at him.  
  
"You think you're so funny." I said grumpily.  
  
"Speaking of visiting, why are you here, Elrond?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"I came to see if you will be ready to leave tomorrow as planned." Elrond replied.  
  
"If I can get some peace and quiet to finish my work, yes." Glorfindel said, shooting a meaningful glance at me.  
  
"You could have gotten rid of me any time you wanted. You just had to show me to some part of Rivendell I recognized." I replied with an innocent smile. "And besides, your work can't be more important than going and scaring off a couple of Ringwraiths and bringing the Ringbearer to Rivendell so he can get his ouchie fixed." Glorfindel and Elrond looked at me blankly while they deciphered what I'd said.  
  
"The Ringbearer is injured?" Elrond asked, his eyebrows shooting up in alarm.  
  
"Or will be soon, yep." I replied, then frowned thoughtfully and added, "I need to stop giving away what I know like that. Not healthy for the timeline..."  
  
"Indeed it is not. I think it would be better, perhaps, if you go to stay in Lothlorien until the events you know of are over." Elrond said with a worried frown.  
  
"Eh, no." I said, thinking of the Fellowship wandering through there, and Kari's presence. "Wouldn't work. Besides, no offence, but Galadriel's creepy." I heard a snort of laughter from Glorfindel, but he covered it quickly with a cough when Elrond shot him a look.  
  
"Then you shall have to learn to curb your tongue." Elrond said.  
  
"Indeedily doodily do!" I replied cheerfully. Both Elf Lords looked at me blankly. "That means I will." Glorfindel and Elrond nodded in understanding, and I held back a snicker.  
  
"Regardless, Lady Asira is right, Glorfindel. Your work is not more important than your trip." Elrond said.  
  
"GOOD." Glorfindel said emphatically, immediately standing up from behind his desk. I blinked in surprise as Elrond smiled knowingly.  
  
"Shall we all go have a late supper, then?" Elrond suggested. "I'm afraid I missed supper myself with all my own work."  
  
"Might as well, it'll go with my early breakfast." I commented, and so all three of us set off for the kitchens, where we hoped to find some food left over from supper.  
  
When we reached the kitchens, we not only discovered some left over food, but Glorfindel and Elrond spotted some other important Elves of Rivendell having a late supper, and pretty soon they were all wrapped up in a boring conversation about something or other. I stayed nearby for a short while, then got bored with the constant droning and had my food put on a tray and took it to my rooms.  
  
Surprisingly, Boromir was waiting for me when I returned to my rooms. He was leaning against the wall across from my door, looking tired and cranky.  
  
"Finally." he muttered when I came up, pushing himself away from the wall.  
  
"How long have you been waiting here?" I asked.  
  
"Since supper, though I have been searching for you since mid-afternoon." Boromir replied in annoyance.  
  
"Ah, well, I was lost." I said as I opened my door and went into my room. Boromir arched an eyebrow at me as he followed me in.  
  
"Lost? For the entire afternoon? How on Arda did you manage that?" he asked.  
  
"I could get lost for an hour trying to walk in a circle, and ANYBODY could get lost for any amount of time going to or coming back from Glory's study." I replied as I set my tray down on the table and sat down. Boromir positioned himself so he was now leaning against the wall across from where I was sitting.  
  
"What were you doing in Lord Glorfindel's study?" he asked.  
  
"Explaining to the twins why I left Rivendell." I replied.  
  
"The twins...? You mean Lord Elrond's sons?" Boromir asked, and I nodded. "Why Glorfindel's study, then?" Boromir asked in confusion. "Do they not have their own studies?"  
  
"Probably, but Glory's study is far enough away from everybody else that nobody could overhear us, and besides, I wanted Glory around in case Elladan decided to do something stupid. Also, Glory's study contains sharp, pointy objects that can be used in self defense." I replied. Boromir looked at me blankly, not even trying to understand what I'd just said. "So, why were you looking for me?"  
  
"Lord Elrond came to speak with me this afternoon." Boromir said, immediately latching onto a subject he could understand. "He asked me to attend a council of the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth that he is going to be holding soon."  
  
"And you said yes?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"I told him I was here to seek answers, not to attend a council." Boromir replied in annoyance. "He then told me that I might find my answers at the council."  
  
"Smart Elf." I commented. Boromir pursed his lips and glared at me.  
  
"I do not have time to attend councils of any sort. I need to find out what that dream means, if anything, and then return to Minas Tirith!" he said.  
  
"The dream does mean something, Boromir, and because of it, you are not only going to attend that council, but you're going to be making a side trip to Mordor before going home to Minas Tirith." I said crisply. Boromir gaped at me.  
  
"But father said -" Boromir started.  
  
"Your father is a fool." I snapped. "He toys with powers beyond his comprehension and imagines that he has mastered them. Worse yet, he makes his decisions on the 'wisdom' he learns from his supposed manipulating of those powers. Is it any wonder that under his leadership Gondor has grown weak?"  
  
"Gondor is not weak!" Boromir protested, his anger flaring at my insult of his kingdom.  
  
"I have lived in Gondor's glory days, Boromir." I said, staring back at Boromir unflinchingly. "Gondor is WEAK."  
  
"It is still the strongest of Kingdoms!" Boromir snarled.  
  
"Of Men." I replied. Boromir glared at me for a moment, silently fuming, then stomped out of my room. "Go to the council." I called after him, and I think I heard him snort in response. I had finished my meal by now, so I carefully covered the tray again and left it on the table for a servant to come and remove, then wandered out onto my balcony hoping to distract myself for a bit before figuring out how that particular conversation with Boromir had gone wrong and what I should do to fix it.  
  
I looked down on Rivendell for a short while, but I had been staring at it most of the afternoon from Glorfindel's study, so I was sick of seeing it. Instead, I turned my eyes to the stars, and smiled as I felt that familiar peace that seemed to settle on me whenever I looked up at the night sky.  
  
I don't know how long I stood, watching the sky, but I soon became aware that the sky was lightening, and there was motion in the courtyard beneath me. My balcony looked out over the main courtyard of Lord Elrond's house, and now as I looked down, I saw that Glorfindel, as well as many other Elves, were making an early start to go looking for Frodo and company. Elrond was down there, and said a few words to each of the riders, before moving off to watch as the Elves mounted their horses and left Rivendell by twos. Glorfindel was in the last pair to leave, and when he mounted up, I called out to him.  
  
"Hey Glory!" Glorfindel turned and looked up at me. "Knock 'em dead." I said with an evil grin. Glorfindel rolled his eyes, then waved and rode off. Elrond, now aware of my presence, looked up at me where I stood on the balcony, still watching as the Elven riders disappeared off in various directions.  
  
"Rachel." Elrond said, and I turned to look at him.  
  
"Hey, you didn't call me Asira." I said with a half smile, and Elrond nodded with a small smile.  
  
"Would you please come to my study after breakfast? I have some things I would like to discuss with you." Elrond said.  
  
"Sure." I said. "When's breakfast, anyways?"  
  
"In a few hours." Elrond replied.  
  
"Shit." I said, making a face, surprised that I'd stood staring at the stars the entire night. "I need to get some sleep." Elrond arched an eyebrow at me.  
  
"You have not slept already tonight?" he asked.  
  
"Stars are pretty." I said by way of an explanation. Elrond gave a little laugh, nodded, and then disappeared into the house. With a last glance at the stars, I left my balcony and changed before clambering into bed to get whatever sleep I could before breakfast.  
  
----To be continued...with Bilbo!----  
(Three cheers for the funny ol' hobbit!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
OK, so I didn't QUITE make three chapters in one week, but I got absorbed in some very absorbing books. :P Anyways, now I have some good and bad news - the good news is I'll be trying to get a chapter up every two days from now until the end of the month. Why? Because - and this is the bad news - November is NaNoWriMo (www.nanowrimo.org) and I'm going to be trying to write close to 2,000 words a day on a novel then and will have very little time to write on this fic. I will POSSIBLY get up one chapter a week during that time. Possibly. We shall see.  
  
Anyways, now that I'm done with the news, I'm going to thank my reviewers and hope you all continue to review even when I slow down in November. I want to especially thank Darlene5, Aislin2 and The Noble Platypus - I kept meaning to reply to your reviews over the weekend, but just never got around to it. Ooops. (Books are bad for productivity, boils and ghouls!)  
  
Off to do the schoolwork she should be doing,  
~Crimson Starlight 


	22. Talks

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Not mine...Though my new scanner is mine! *hugs scanner*  
  
Glorfindel: Uh...why are you hugging your scanner?  
  
CS: Because I love it?  
  
Rachel: That's...kinda weird...  
  
CS: But amusing.  
  
Glorfindel: Oh?  
  
CS: *nods* Think of the possibilities! The strange looks you could get out of people! *evil grin*  
  
Rachel and Glorfindel: ...O.o  
  
Elrond: Yes, she is insane. I diagnosed it after the first chapter...  
  
-22: Talks-  
  
After getting a scarily small amount of sleep, snapping off the heads of about a dozen servants on my quest to get breakfast, and a barely satisfactory breakfast once I did find it, I finally made my way to Elrond's study. I knocked lightly on the door when I arrived, and almost immediately there came a 'Come in' from beyond the door. Cautiously, I opened the door and stepped inside.  
  
It is quite safe to say, I think, that the only resemblance between Elrond and Glorfindel's studies is that they both have papers and writing materials on the desks. Everything else was different. For one, you could see all four walls, and the ceiling, of Elrond's study, and for another, there was a total of one house plant in the room, resting on the windowsill and fluttering in a morning breeze. There were also no weapons visible. Instead, there were neatly arranged, carefully organized shelves containing books...and books...and more books...and oh, look, a jar or two of medicine.  
  
I realized I was smiling with amusement as I approached Elrond's desk, which he was sitting behind watching me approach. Whether it was amusement at Elrond's study, or at Glorfindel's, though, I couldn't tell. I did, however, smooth my expression to one of faint amusement - the best I could do, no matter how hard I tried - as I stopped in front of the desk, looking down at Elrond where he sat. Belatedly, I curtseyed slightly. Thankfully, as a high-ranking Lady of Gondor, my curtsey was more respectful, so it didn't need to be deep or elaborate. I probably would have fallen over if I'd had to do a deep curtsey. Of course, I always figured I would fall over whenever I had to curtsey, no matter the depth.  
  
Do I have faith in my sense of balance? No, not really.  
  
"Good of you to come, Rachel." Elrond said with a smile, breaking me out of my thoughts.  
  
"Well, it was a hard decision, but I figured Elladan had to get his temper from somewhere, so it might be better to show up." I said dryly. Elrond smiled wryly, shaking his head, but chose not to comment.  
  
"I asked you here because I wanted to invite you to a council I'm going to be having soon." he said.  
  
"Ooo, I get an invitation to the infamous Council of Elrond?" I asked with a grin. Elrond arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Infamous?" he asked.   
  
"Well, it will be soon..." I said with a shrug.  
  
"So I take it you will come?" Elrond asked.  
  
"Yep. And I'll drag Boromir along by his hair if I have to." I replied, rolling my eyes. "He needs to get his dream deciphered, anyways."  
  
"Ah yes, about that. Do you know what this dream of his is?" Elrond asked curiously.  
  
I eyed Elrond suspiciously. "Yeeees...why?"  
  
"I was hoping perhaps you could tell me of it ahead of time so I might be able to explain all of it during the council." Elrond said with a light frown. I paused, considering.  
  
"I suppose it can't do any harm. You probably know everything in it already, anyways." I said. "Looking over Gondor, the east grows dark, then a voice coming from a pale light lingering in the west - probably one of the Valar - says:  
  
"Seek for the Sword that was broken:  
In Imladris it dwells;  
There shall be counsels taken  
Stronger than Morgul-spells.  
There shall be shown a token  
That Doom is near at hand,  
For Isildur's Bane shall waken,  
And the Halfling forth shall stand." Elrond's eyes widened as I spoke, and when I finished, he frowned thoughtfully and leaned back in his chair.  
  
"Isildur's bane..." Elrond murmured after a moment. "I take it that means the One Ring?" I nodded. "But the token..." Elrond frowned. "I can not imagine what that would be." He was looking at me as he said this, and I arched an eyebrow as I looked back at him.  
  
"I thought you wanted me to shut my mouth about what I knew of the future." I said.  
  
"Of events, yes." Elrond said practically. "Deciphering dreams is another matter." I chuckled.  
  
"Elrond, you would have made an awesome lawyer on my world." I said.  
  
"Lawyer?" Elrond asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"It would take awhile to explain." I said, shaking my head. "The token is the Ring, as well."  
  
"Ah. Thank you." Elrond said. I nodded.  
  
"No problem. You probably would have figured it out on your own, anyways." I said. "Now I just have to continue resisting telling everyone what the future holds...as it is, those poor hobbits, and that poor ranger, aren't going to know what hit them when they arrive in Rivendell." I finished with a slightly crazy grin, and Elrond gave me a wary look.  
  
"What ARE you going to do?" he asked.  
  
"Uh...make some dirty people have a bath?" I tried, still grinning. Elrond paused, and then sighed in resignation.  
  
"Try not to get yourself mistaken for an enemy and run through before they realize you are not a threat?" he asked.  
  
"Who says I'm not a threat?" I asked, my grin widening.  
  
"Unless you have learned how to fight in the past 800 years, Kari says so." Elrond said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Drat her and her tale-telling." I mumbled. Elrond chuckled. "Anyways, was that all you wanted to see me for?"  
  
"Yes, it was." Elrond said with a smile.  
  
"Ah, good. Now, out of curiosity and because everyone else I know who's currently in Rivendell might bite my head off if I went to talk to them, where's Bilbo hanging around these days? I wanna meet the old hobbit..." I said. Elrond blinked, then shook his head and smiled ruefully.  
  
"I suppose his adventure could be considered part of the War of the Ring..." Elrond mused.  
  
"No, not really, but I never said I only know the history of the War of the Ring." I replied cheerfully. "Heck, I could tell you all sorts of shit about the First Age, but there's really no need, since you were around for some of it and probably already know the rest." Elrond looked at me in surprise.  
  
"Really..." Elrond said, a strange look in his eyes. I nodded.  
  
"So, do you know where Bilbo hangs out, or do I get to get lost again?" I asked.  
  
"He is usually in the library." Elrond said, standing from his chair. "Come, I shall show you where it is."  
  
"No need to trouble yourself." I said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"It is no trouble." Elrond said, eyeing the papers scattered across his desk as if they would bite. I grinned, and then let myself be shown the way to the Library of Rivendell. Which took up just about all of Rivendell. Well, not really, but it sure looked like it. Elrond grinned almost mischievously at me when my jaw dropped at my first sight of the library.  
  
"This place is biiiiiiiiig..." I said in a daze, looking around. "How do you find anything in here?"  
  
"I have an excellent memory." Elrond said dismissively.  
  
"And personal slaves to organize the books for you." said a familiar voice from nearby, and I turned to see one of the twins inspecting a shelf of books intently.  
  
"Ah, Elladan, glad to see you decided to show up today." Elrond said cheerfully. I eyed Elrond, and then edged away from him. This was probably the first time I'd seen him truly cheerful when Celebrían wasn't around. The fact that he was being cheerful in relation to Elladan doing something he obviously did not want to do did not help matters.  
  
"Erestor threatened to make him sleep in the library if he did not start showing up to help." Elrohir said dryly, appearing on the other side of Elrond.  
  
"Did he now?" Elrond said with amusement. "I am not sure that would be entirely good for the books, but at least it worked." I could see Elladan roll his eyes even though he wasn't facing us. Elrohir and Elrond chuckled, and I just shook my head.  
  
"Evil Elves. Who woulda thunk it?" I mused. Elrohir arched an eyebrow at me.  
  
"You are one to talk." he said, an edge in his voice. Then, at a stern look from his father, Elrohir bowed slightly and said, "If you'll excuse me, I have work to do." before disappearing into the library again. Elrond frowned after him, and I arched an eyebrow. Apparently Elrohir was still annoyed with me.  
  
"I probably deserved that." I commented.  
  
"No, you did not. Elrohir had no call to say that." Elrond said, shaking his head.  
  
"I said probably." I said with a shrug. "And anyways, he had to deal with Kari's grief as well as his own. That couldn't have been pleasant, I'm sure."  
  
"No, it wasn't." Elladan commented from where he was still inspecting the shelf of books.  
  
"Talk or work." a familiar looking Elf-lord said, suddenly appearing beside Elladan. "Not both. You make mistakes when you do."  
  
"I'll talk then!" Elladan said cheerfully, making as if to come over to where Elrond and I were standing.  
  
"No, you will work." the Elf-lord said sternly, grabbing Elladan by the arm and pulling him back towards the shelf. Someone - not me - sniggered as Elladan grumbled and got back to work, with the Elf-lord - who I now remembered was Erestor - disappearing into somewhere in the depths of the library again. Elrond caught the snigger, as well, and led me over to its source.  
  
"Ah, Mírëría!" Elrond said brightly as we turned a corner and found an Elf maiden inspecting a shelf of books much like Elladan had been. Said Elf maiden looked up in surprise when Elrond spoke, and looked even more surprised when she noticed me.  
  
"Lord Elrond, Lady Asira." Mírëría said after a barely noticeable pause, curtseying deeply.  
  
"Tell me, is Bilbo in the library?" Elrond asked. Mírëría paused, seemingly thinking, and then nodded.  
  
"I believe he still is. Up in the history section, as usual." she said.  
  
"Excellent." Elrond said, and without so much as a wave, he set off again, with me following, presumably heading for the history section of the library. Eventually, Elrond paused, and looked around as if thinking, and I resisted the urge to ask if he'd gotten lost. It became apparent that he had simply been trying to think of where Bilbo would be, however, as he soon led me deftly through the stacks and stopped by a comfortable looking chair placed in front of a small fireplace that had an equally small fire crackling away inside it. In the chair, sound asleep, was a (very) little man with white hair, and big feet sticking out from underneath the blanket draped across his lap. Resting against his chest, open somewhere in the middle, was a book.  
  
Elrond smiled in amusement, then bent down and made as if to tug the book out of Bilbo's hands. With a start, the hobbit woke up, instantly clutching the book tighter so it couldn't be taken from him. Elrond let him keep the book without a fight, having succeeded in what he wanted to do, as Bilbo now sat up straighter and blinked sleepily up at the Elf-lord, desperately trying to wake up enough to make sense of what was going on.  
  
"Ah, Lord Elrond!" Bilbo said cheerily after a moment. "Good morning!"  
  
"Good morning indeed." Elrond said, still looking very amused. "What are you reading today?"  
  
"Oh, this? It's about Dwarven architecture, very fascinating." Bilbo said, nodding approvingly at the book he was holding.  
  
"Architecture can be fascinating?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. Bilbo looked over at me in surprise, seemingly having not noticed I was there.  
  
"Bilbo, this is Lady Asira, from Gondor." Elrond introduced. "Asira, Bilbo Baggins."  
  
"Pleased to meet you." Bilbo said politely, nodding in my direction, and I smiled and nodded back.  
  
"Same." I said.  
  
"From Gondor, you say? I didn't know there were any elves in Gondor." Bilbo said, looking at me curiously.  
  
"There aren't anymore." I said with a grin.  
  
"Oh." Bilbo said, looking slightly confused.  
  
"I was just staying in Gondor for a short while. As far as I know, I was the only Elf there, so now that I've left, there are no Elves in Gondor." I elaborated. Bilbo nodded in understanding.  
  
"So what brings you to Rivendell, then?" Bilbo asked curiously.  
  
"The Steward sent me with his son to ask Lord Elrond's advice on something." I answered.  
  
"The Steward, you say? He rules in place of the King, right?" Bilbo asked, almost eagerly, and I nodded. Then Bilbo started peppering me with more questions about Gondor, and neither of us noticed when Elrond quietly excused himself to get back to his work.  
  
----To be continued...with BOB!----  
(And apologies and stuff...But mainly Bob!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Well, I forgot about 6 times that I was going to upload this chapter, but I did remember before the end of the day! Go me! *does a little dance*  
  
In other news, it just snowed here. It is cold. It is white. It looks like Christmas. I listened to my (very old) *N Sync Christmas CD today. It was amusing.  
  
And on that note, thank you to all my reviewers, you're all superb, and for the most part, incredibly understanding about me slowing down to do NaNorWriMo. :) If you all are feeling a little deprived, though, you can always go check out my friend and my's webcomic that's linked to from my profile - it's an auto update, and we have a whole bunch of comics done, so you can get amusion from that if you want. [end shameless plug]  
  
Off to play with my new scanner, now!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	23. Bob

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own nothing at the moment, but as soon as the little kiddies who I'm giving candy to tonight eat said candy, I will own their souls! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-*Rachel clamps a hand over CS's mouth*  
  
Rachel: Don't mind her, she's just slightly crazy around Halloween.  
  
CS: Anwonulloons!  
  
Rachel: And on full moons.  
  
CS: Anewyowerfwiway!  
  
Rachel: You are not.  
  
CS: Arwoo!  
  
Rachel: No, you're not! If anything, you're crazy EVERY Friday!  
  
CS: *pauses* *agrees*  
  
-23: Bob-  
  
Ispent the majority of my morning chatting with Bilbo, and then we had lunch together on a patio, for which Arwen and Elrond joined us. This was my first time seeing Arwen since my return, but she already seemed to know all about me being Rachel, and I figured Elrond or one of the twins must have told her. Or Glorfindel, but that was unlikely.  
  
After lunch, I sought out Boromir, but found that he had just left for a ride - with no provisions for a journey (I asked specifically) - and so I was left on my own. Out of boredom, I went to the archery fields, and managed to cajole one of the archers there - Tulcanco, I think his name was - to show me some more archery. My archery skills hadn't improved since I was last in Rivendell, however, and Tulcanco soon gave up on teaching me, telling me instead to just try not to lose any arrows. And so I merrily spent the afternoon shooting everything around the archery target.  
  
Arwen showed up at dinner time, and I discovered I was to have the extreme pleasure of dining with her, her brothers and father, and Boromir. Oh joy. What parts of the meal I didn't spend ignoring Elrohir and Elladan's annoyed looks - apparently Elladan had merely favored talking to someone he was annoyed with over doing work in the library - I spent trying to get Boromir to talk to me, or having disjointed, uneasy conversations with Arwen and Elrond in which we tried to ignore the other three occupants of the table and failed miserably. Near the end of my meal, I found myself absently wishing Glorfindel hadn't had to go find Frodo. Or at least that he'd taken me with him.  
  
Finally, however, I was able to retreat to my room. I spent a short while reading, before getting bored and deciding to sleep. The next day was equally exciting. I had breakfast, I talked to Bilbo, I had lunch, I talked to Bilbo some more, I went for a walk with Arwen (she wanted to know about Gondor), I had supper (in my rooms, this time), I read, I went to bed. When I woke up the next morning, however, I decided enough was enough. After having breakfast, I went to see Boromir. Amazingly, he was in his rooms. Not surprisingly, he was very grumpy, and not at all happy to see me.  
  
"Boromir, start acting your age." I scolded when I walked into his room after being told to go away. I received a snarl in return, and shook my head. "If it hadn't been for me guiding you, Boromir, you wouldn't have gotten to Rivendell until the night before the council, anyways. You're fated to be there. So accept it and get over it."  
  
"I am not upset over having to go to the council." Boromir said, glaring at me.  
  
"Oh, right, you're upset because I dared to call Gondor, the Shrunken Kingdom of Men, weak." I said, rolling my eyes. "Look, every kingdom goes through its ups and downs. Gondor is just currently in a down. As is Rohan. And every other kingdom of a Free People of Middle-Earth. While the evil guys' kingdom seems to be on an up. Good thing there's only one." I finished thoughtfully, with Boromir giving me a confused look. "The point is that I was not insulting Gondor, I was stating a fact. Gondor IS weak. But it probably won't be staying that way."  
  
"If that's by way of an apology, very well." Boromir said dryly.  
  
"Good. Now do something with me before I decide to storm Mordor all by myself out of sheer boredom." I said. Boromir chuckled.  
  
"Very well. What would you like to do?" he asked.  
  
"If I knew what I wanted to do, would I be asking you?" I replied, arching an eyebrow. Boromir blinked, and then shook his head.  
  
"I heard you were at the archery fields the other day. Perhaps you would like to have a competition?" he asked.  
  
"Only time I hit the target during that entire afternoon of practice was when I had help from one of the archers." I replied promptly.  
  
"Sounds like me on a good day." Boromir said dryly. I blinked in surprise.  
  
"I thought you were good at archery?" I asked.  
  
"No, horrible. Faramir just shot my target when Master Karovi's back was turned so that he thought I was hitting once and awhile." Boromir replied with a mischievous grin, naming his and Faramir's archery teacher. I laughed.  
  
"You two really were little hellions." I said.  
  
"Are. Not were." Boromir said, his grin taking on a decidedly wicked tinge. I shook my head.  
  
"Well then. How about you show me something you're good at? Like sword work?" I asked.  
  
"You want me to teach you how to use a sword?" Boromir asked, both of his eyebrows shooting up.  
  
"Eh, sure. I mean, it's a miracle that I've managed to wander between Bree, Rohan and Gondor for 800 years and not only not know how to use any weapon or fight in any manner, but not have the need to know, either." I said.  
  
"Indeed." Boromir said with an amused smile. "Well, we shall have to find you something more suitable to practice in, and a weapon."  
  
"Ah, leave that to me!" I said cheerfully. "I'll see you back here in half an hour?" Boromir nodded, looking at me curiously and obviously wondering what I was planning. Instead of telling him, however, I waved cheerfully and dashed out. Pausing in the hallway, I got my directions sorted out, then made for Elladan and Elrohir's room. After a pause, I knocked on Elladan's door and waited patiently, though I didn't really expect him to be there. He was, however, looking as if he'd just woken up. Unless he regularly wandered around his rooms wearing nothing but a pair of trousers.  
  
"What?" he asked tiredly. I smiled slightly. I had been intending to apologize again and try and get him to stop being annoyed with me before asking him for anything, but he looked so out of it that I doubted he would remember he was annoyed with me until I was already halfway back to Boromir's rooms with the needed items.  
  
"Can I borrow a pair of trousers, a tunic and a sword?" I asked, bouncing on the balls of my feet. Elladan blinked.  
  
"Why?" he asked.  
  
"Because I convinced Boromir to teach me to fight with a sword." I replied. Elladan paused.  
  
"Very well. But you had BETTER return them." he said gruffly, and then disappeared into his room as I grinned in satisfaction. Elladan reappeared moments later with a bundle of cloth I supposed was trousers and a tunic, a sword resting on top of the bundle. I frowned lightly as I looked at the clothes.  
  
"Out of curiosity, why didn't your missing trousers and tunic tip you off that I had left instead of jumped?" I asked. Elladan shrugged.  
  
"Kari and I figured you hid them somewhere so you could wear them when you didn't want to wear a dress." he said. I chuckled as I took the clothes and sword from Elladan.  
  
"I'm not THAT attached, but I suppose it worked." I said. "Thanks."  
  
"No problem." Elladan said, stifling a yawn.  
  
"Go back to bed, sleepyhead." I said, shaking my head.  
  
"Sounds good to me." Elladan said. "Good day."  
  
"Bye!" I said cheerfully, then bounced off as Elladan shut his door and presumably returned to his bed. I headed back to my room and changed into the clothes, then spent several minutes figuring out how to put on the sword. I figured it out eventually, however, especially after checking in the mirror to see if it looked right. Then I bounced off to Boromir's room again. Boromir arched an eyebrow when he saw me.  
  
"Where DID you get those?" he asked.  
  
"Elladan." I replied with a shrug.  
  
"Ah. That's why they're a little...big." Boromir said carefully.  
  
"No, they're big because I'm way too frigging short." I said, scowling down at myself. "I'm going to have to get some trousers and tunics made for me some day." Boromir nodded, smiling wryly.  
  
"Shall we go find someplace to practice?" he suggested.  
  
"Ooo! I know just the place!" I said, my eyes lighting up as I remembered the arena in Glorfindel's study. Then I frowned. "But I'm not sure I could find it unless I wandered around for several hours. And the door's probably locked..." Boromir rolled his eyes.  
  
"Perhaps we should go ask Lord Elrond?" he suggested.  
  
"Sounds good to me." I replied cheerfully. And so Boromir and I set off to find Elrond and ask him where we could practice sword fighting. Elrond handled the whole thing rather well, considering that I'm fairly sure he recognized his son's clothes, and evidence had shown that Elrohir got his sense of propriety from his father. We got directions to an arena, anyways.  
  
Thus began a fun morning of having Boromir beat the crap out of me. Well, not really, but I never even got CLOSE to threatening to 'injure' him the entire morning. I, however, became very well acquainted with the tip of Boromir's sword. In fact, by the time lunch finally came around, I had named the tip of Boromir's sword 'Bob'. I found it extremely funny. Boromir found it scary. The entire way to lunch, and most of lunch itself, was spent arguing over why I couldn't name the tip of Boromir's sword.  
  
Near the end of lunch, however, Boromir and my's discussion was cut short as Elladan appeared beside me, looking pissed. I eyed him warily, wondering what he would do.  
  
"Good day, Lord Elladan." Boromir said, not noticing Elladan and my's looks.  
  
"Good day." Elladan grunted in reply. "Rachel, may I please speak with you a moment?"  
  
"Uh...how about if I just say sorry now and get it over with?" I asked. Elladan gave me a tired look.  
  
"Did sorry work the first time?" he asked.  
  
"No, but then, I didn't actually say sorry. I AM saying sorry now." I replied. Elladan paused. "Seriously, there's not much else I can say, you've heard everything else." There was another pause, and then Elladan grudgingly nodded.  
  
"There's still something else I would like to speak with you about." he said. I sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry for using your half-asleep state to finagle clothes and sword out of you." I said.  
  
"What?" Boromir asked with a light frown.  
  
"Apology accepted." Elladan said dryly, ignoring Boromir.  
  
"Good. Because said clothes and sword were put to good use." I said.  
  
"Good use?" Boromir asked, arching an eyebrow. "And here I thought you spent the entire morning staring at the tip of my blade."  
  
"Exactly." I replied. Boromir looked at me blankly. "Well, it resulted in me meeting Bob."  
  
"What?" Elladan asked in confusion, coming into the conversation once again.  
  
"I named the tip of his sword Bob." I replied.  
  
"Why?" Elladan asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"See, now there's a sensible response." I said, turning to Boromir. "You don't protest at me naming things, it will only make me do it more. If you ask me to explain, I might get so fed up with having to explain every name, I'll just stop naming things."   
  
"You naming things wasn't a problem until we came to Rivendell." Boromir said dryly.  
  
"So why did you name his sword Bob?" Elladan asked again.  
  
"Just the tip of his sword." I corrected cheerfully. "And I named it Bob because Bob is a rather common name at home. Well, actually, it's a generic name for just about anyone. Better then George, at any rate."  
  
"...George?" Boromir was interested now.  
  
"Yeah, another generic name. Add 'ina' on the end and you get the feminine version." I replied.  
  
"George...ina?" Elladan asked, looking slightly horrified.  
  
"Yeah, horrible name." I replied, making a face. "There are better ones, though."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Elizabeth, Kathryn, Joshua, Orlando...there are more, but I'm not a whiz that can list them off the top of my head." I replied, trying not to giggle from the last name I mentioned.  
  
"Those are certainly strange names." Boromir said with a frown.  
  
"Not as strange as Boromir or Elladan." I said with a smirk. Boromir and Elladan rolled their eyes.  
  
"And what about Rachel?" Elladan said.  
  
"Bad name, should be banned." I replied dismissively.  
  
"So you don't like your name?" Elladan asked with amusement. I shook my head.  
  
"Not at all. There's a reason I haven't used it since I left Bree...for the first time." I said.  
  
"The first time? You went back?" Boromir asked.  
  
"Yeah, met Gandalf. Who saw straight through my disguise, stupid wizard." I replied, rolling my eyes. Elladan and Boromir chuckled, both having met Gandalf.  
  
"He would." Elladan said dryly.  
  
"Yeah." I said. "So, I'm done eating, shall we go give me more opportunities to chat with Bob?"  
  
"You want to get beaten MORE?" Boromir asked incredulously.  
  
"Hey, the only way you getting better is through practice. Wanna come, Elladan? You can beat my butt, too, if you don't mind getting your sword's tip named." I said.  
  
"I think I'll come and watch." Elladan said with amusement as we stood up.  
  
Thus began an afternoon much like the morning. In other words, I got the crap beat out of me by Boromir, and once he got tired, by Elladan. By the end of the day, I was so tired - though thoroughly pleased, as there was a noticeable improvement in my sword skills from the morning - that I barely stayed awake long enough to eat before collapsing into bed. Elladan and Boromir made a comment to the effect of 'You're going to be sorry tomorrow' when they said goodnight to me. I just dismissed it, partly from tiredness, and partly because I didn't care.  
  
Boromir and Elladan were right, of course. I was incredibly sore the next day, and moved stiffly if at all. Boromir and Elladan had a hard time keeping a straight face whenever they were near me. Which was why I spent the majority of the day in the library with Bilbo, mostly getting books from high shelves for him in between finding books with lots of drawings and doodles in them to look at. I wasn't really in the mood to read. Eventually, after supper, Bilbo started talking about his adventures with the Dwarves, and it was incredibly fun to hear the whole tale directly from him.  
  
I went to bed early that night, as well, and woke up early the next morning, refreshed. That day was spent either with Bilbo, or practicing with Boromir and Elladan, who were both amazed I had recovered so quickly. And so my days passed in Rivendell, surprisingly relaxed and easy compared to how I'd left Rivendell last time. Then came the 18th of October. The day Gandalf arrived in Rivendell.  
  
He rode in rather calmly, for what he'd just gone through, though he seemed quite focused. He barely even noticed Boromir and I where we had paused in our practicing. Instead, he marched straight into the house, and I could just hear him asking to see Elrond before he faded out of Elvish earshot. Boromir and I just looked at each other, shrugged, and went back to sword fighting, which I was actually becoming rather good at. Occasionally, I managed to actually 'wound' Boromir in some manner. I was quite pleased.  
  
Eventually, Boromir and I quit practicing and went inside for supper. Elladan found us partway to our rooms and informed me that I was to eat supper with Elrond and Gandalf in a private dining room. So I quickly got changed and had Elladan lead me to this dining room.  
  
Gandalf and Elrond were, no surprise, already in the room when we arrived, and deep in conversation about something, probably Saruman's treachery, since I caught the wizard's name. The conversation ended abruptly, however, when Elrond and Gandalf realized I had arrived. Elrond nodded a thanks to Elladan, and the twin slipped out of the room.  
  
"Rachel, come, sit and eat with us." Elrond said, motioning to a chair and the table that was covered in food. I sat, acutely aware of Gandalf's piercing gaze focused on me.  
  
"Have a nice trip, Gandalf?" I asked after a moment.  
  
"Not really, no." he replied. I nodded. Silence fell, and I shifted uncomfortably in my chair.  
  
"Elrond tells me you know of the future?" Gandalf said finally. I nodded.  
  
"That I do. Though I can't recall ever telling him." I said with a frown.  
  
"Glorfindel." Elrond supplied.  
  
"Dratted elf." I mumbled, and Elrond shot me an amused glance.  
  
"How complete is your knowledge?" Gandalf asked intently, ignoring Elrond and my's banter.  
  
"Uh, IF everything goes the way I have read that it will, then I know it very well. Down to the very words that will be spoken, in some parts." I replied.  
  
"Really..." Gandalf said, his curiosity plain in his voice. I nodded.  
  
"I also know a lot of the dates of important events," I said, then added thoughtfully, "Of which there are far too many coming." Gandalf nodded.  
  
"I am sure there are, what with the Ring being found again." he said. I nodded.  
  
"For such a little thing, it sure causes a whole lot of trouble." I said.  
  
"Indeed." Gandalf said. At that point, Elrond seemed to notice that, while we had food, we had not touched it yet. So we all spent several minutes serving ourselves from the various platters of food on the table, and then started eating in silence.  
  
"You shall be coming to the Council?" Gandalf asked needlessly. I nodded.  
  
"Wouldn't miss it." I said, grinning slightly. "Get to watch everybody be idiots before having some sense knocked into them by a midget." Elrond and Gandalf's eyebrows shot up, and I smiled back innocently.  
  
"Why do I have the feeling that this Council will be far more interesting than we anticipated?" Gandalf asked dryly.  
  
"Because it will be?" I replied. Gandalf and Elrond chuckled, and then we continued eating, talking occasionally about common subjects, but steering clear of anything important.  
  
----To be continued...with the long-put off explanation of Mary-Sues to Gandalf.----  
(And the subsequent consequences.)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Hee, well, here you have it, one last chapter before November starts! I hope y'all enjoy it. Just be glad I ended it here, though - the next chapter is the start of the really fun stuff. In other words, mucho confusing plot twists and cliff hangers and all sorts of good stuff.  
  
Anyways, if any of you will be wanting proof that I'm actually DOING something during November and not just slacking off, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be posting my NaNoWriMo story on FictionPress.net. Not sure if I'll have the time, or if it'll work, seeing as I tend to stop writing in the middle of scenes (and sometimes words) and not seperate my original stories into chapters in the first draft. We'll see.  
  
So yes, hope you all have/had a happy Halloween, and are busy munching away on loads of chocolate! I'd give some of my own to all my wonderful reviewers, but I didn't get out this year...  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	24. Philophosizing

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own nothing but the over 13,000 words I've pounded out in the past 6 days. *twitch*  
  
Rachel: Out of curiosity, why are you doing this to yourself?  
  
CS: I have no idea...I could be doing schoolwork, maybe finishing that overdue report, but noooo, I'm writing a 50,000 word novel in a month...  
  
Glorfindel: I say you're masochistic.  
  
CS: *whacks Glorfindel* Shut up, you, I am not.  
  
Glorfindel: *wobbling around* Er, right, my mistake - sadistic.  
  
CS: Don't make me borrow Morgoth's Balrogs.  
  
Glorfindel: Meep! I take it back!  
  
-24: Philophosizing-  
  
That supper was not the end of Gandalf's questions, of course. Gandalf cornered me after lunch the next day and asked me to 'take a walk' with him. It was more of an order than a request, really, but I knew I was going to have to talk with him at some point, so I didn't really mind.  
  
We walked in silence for some time, simply wandering through the gardens of Rivendell. Eventually, however, it became apparent that Gandalf was heading for the more secluded and quiet areas of Rivendell, where there would be no one to overhear.  
  
"Elrond has told me of where you come from." Gandalf said finally.  
  
"Good for him. Though, once again, I don't recall ever telling him." I said.  
  
"He said he had Glorfindel tell him the day after your return." Gandalf said.  
  
"Ah." I said. "Figures."  
  
"I have talked with Elladan and Elrohir about where you come from, as well." Gandalf said.  
  
"Er, good for you." I said, wondering where this was going.  
  
"And Boromir." Gandalf added. I eyed him.  
  
"So a lot of people know where I come from. What of it?" I asked.  
  
"I have gotten three different stories from those four people." Gandalf replied, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. "Which one is true?"  
  
"Glorfindel's." I replied promptly. No use lying to the wizard. "Elladan and Elrohir just got a simplified version for the sake of them needing an explanation, and Boromir got a severely edited one so that his brain wouldn't break." Gandalf nodded knowingly, though he seemed amused at my reason for why I told Boromir the version I did.  
  
A short silence followed, and then I spoke up again. "So, did you just want to go for a walk with me to ask me questions you already know the answers to, or was there something else?"  
  
"I wanted some more clarification about this...'Mary-Sue' that I keep hearing about in relation to you. All your stories mention it, in some form or another, yet no one seems to explain to me exactly what it is." Gandalf said with a light frown. I sighed.  
  
"Ok, you know that the history of the Third Age is written up in books in my world?" I asked, and Gandalf nodded. "Well, people in my world like the story of the Third Age a whole lot. They like it even more because it has so many main male 'characters' in it.  
  
"But I'm not really starting where I should. Before I even explain to you about my world's strange obsession with Middle-Earth, I need to tell you a bit about it. Foremost, you have to understand that beauty is highly prized in my world. Just about everything relies on it. There's a saying at home that goes 'talent can only take you so far', and, unfortunately, its true there. Less talented people get given jobs or promoted above more talented people simply because they look better. So with that sort of an attitude, you can imagine what sort of a stir even the concept of Elves - perfect, immortal beings - would cause.  
  
"And then there's the appeal of the heroism, adventure and power that will become closely tied with the main players in the end of the Age. Heroism and adventure are very rare commodities in my world, a world where most dangers are ruthlessly struck down with words and papers and treaties. Some people have taken to doing stunts so dangerous that a simple mistake could mean death just to get some adventure. And heroism? It's still there, I suppose, but not on such a grandiose scale as here. Hero's in my day and age are those who showed 'exceptional courage' by saving their bother or sister from certain death in some way or another. Admirable, to be sure, but not much compared to saving the entire known world. That sort of heroism draws even more people into the story.  
  
"Of course, there are always the morbid and criminally insane people who are just attracted to Middle-Earth because, hey, you don't get stuck in jail for life if you kill someone here! Well, if you get caught, and it was for no reason, you do. For the most part, though, you can get away with killing as revenge, or mercy killing someone who doesn't want to live, and all that. You become the newest incarnation of the devil himself if you do anything like that at home."  
  
"Devil?" Gandalf asked in curiosity.  
  
"Oh, hm, sorry, ultimate evil. Think Morgoth at the height of his evilness. Supposedly keeper of all the wicked souls of the world, too." Gandalf nodded in understanding, and I continued. "So the tale of the Third Age of Middle-Earth is extremely attractive to most of the people on my world, for many different reasons. Most of the people attracted to Middle-Earth however, are, sadly enough, teenage girls. Why? Because they like all the 'hot guys' that they imagine nancing around. Which, to be fair, is true. Still, it's sad.  
  
"Of course, everyone on my world believes that Middle-Earth is naught but a tale. However, they want this world, this time, to be real so badly, for all their various different reasons, that they start writing stories about it. About what would happen if this character did that, or if someone showed up and changed this, or even just using the setting of Middle-Earth to tell a tale with no relation to the end of the Third Age at all. Sometimes they write different versions of the end of the Third Age. Sometimes they take the characters from the end of the Third Age and put them in an entirely new setting, just to explore what can be done. Most commonly, they will write about some main character from the end of the Third Age meeting a character of their making and falling in love, no matter how unlikely the pairing. Just about any way they can write about Middle-Earth, they have done so.  
  
"Of course, not everyone in my world is a good writer. Heck, most of them are horrible. Added to that is the fact that these stories of Middle-Earth aren't considered 'real writing' by the general populace - of which I am part of - and often scorned. So most of the authors of these stories don't even try to polish their stories to something acceptable. They use abbreviations, shortcuts, miss-spell words, don't use proper grammar - in any language. And that's not even TOUCHING on their plots. Some of those plots are so inane you have to just stop and think if there even WAS a plot, or if it was just mindless drivel.  
  
"The worst of these stories discerning readers call 'Mary-Sue's. They are generally of the variety of a character of the writers making meeting up with one of the main characters and falling in love, usually before you can say 'Bob's my uncle'. They are also, generally, horribly written, though some authors do write them fairly well. The most defining mark of these 'Mary-Sue's, though, is that the character that the author has brought in is creepily perfect. We're not talking about Elvish perfect. We're talking, they can do anything, anywhere, anytime, never having done it before, and do it perfectly, not to mention remain stunningly beautiful the entire time. The exception to this rule, of course, is in fighting off Orcs. They can never do that, because their Hero always has to save them from the Nasty Orcses." I stopped and glanced at Gandalf. "Am I still making sense?"  
  
"Yes." Gandalf said with a small smile.  
  
"Good. Anyways. The most common plot for these 'Mary-Sue's is usually some girl - modeled after the author, of course - transporting, by some means, from my world to Middle-Earth. In fact, some people label any story that revolves around a girl from my world 'falling' into Middle-Earth, as we call it, as a Mary-Sue." I said.  
  
"Which is why you were so certain you were becoming one of these 'Mary-Sue's?" Gandalf asked, and I nodded.  
  
"Exactly. Which, for me, is a horrible thing, since I've always viewed these stories written about Middle-Earth as an abomination that need to be destroyed. The only few I've ever read were due to Kari cajoling and begging until I gave in. Also, I like to be accepted for who I am. I don't put on airs for people to make them like me, and having those airs thrust on me was just about the deepest insult I can think of." I replied.  
  
"Fascinating." Gandalf murmured.  
  
"I'm sure." I said dryly. There was silence as we walked.  
  
"So what made you fear so surely that you were becoming a Mary-Sue, besides your 'falling' into Middle-Earth? You sounded as if you did not believe that all of these stories your worlds people write that involve one of them transporting to Middle-Earth are Mary-Sues." Gandalf said after awhile.  
  
"Oh, little things here and there. Most primarily, I'd suddenly become scarily beautiful, had blonde hair, and got those few extra inches I always wanted. There was also the fact that all the Elves accepted us so readily, and they didn't even care that Kari called Eregion 'Hollin', which no Elf that lived there should have done." I said. "Oh, and of course, there's the little fact that -" I paused and concentrated, mentally switching from Common to Elvish, something I'd practiced over the years whenever I got bored. "- I can now speak three languages, when I had trouble learning ANY at home." I finished in Elvish. Gandalf blinked at me in surprise for the last part.  
  
"You speak Quenya?" he asked incredulously. I groaned.  
  
"Make that four languages." I said, speaking in Common once again. "Gah, I bet if a Dwarf popped up right now, I could speak Dwarvish to it. Hell, I'd probably understand Black Speech." Gandalf looked at me, amused.  
  
"Was there anything else?" he asked.  
  
"No, that was about it." I replied, then frowned slightly, "Well, there was Kari and her practically instantaneous falling in love with Elrohir. But I'm somewhat of a romantic, and believe in love at first sight, so that doesn't bother me all that much. Anymore."  
  
"And so you manage to explain away the only truly obvious indication that you might have been becoming a Mary-Sue." Gandalf said in amusement. I glanced at him.  
  
"You need to stop smoking pipe weed. My change in looks was by far the most obvious indication." I said.  
  
"Ah yes, but tell me. In all your travellings around Middle-Earth, and in the tales you read of Middle-Earth before coming here, did you ever hear of an Elf that looked anything like you?" Gandalf asked. I frowned.  
  
"Well, the Wood Elves come close..." I said.  
  
"But they are taller, and their blue eyes are bright, not dark." Gandalf put in for me, and I nodded.  
  
"Exactly. So what's your point?" I asked.  
  
"That perhaps your looks, as well as your ability to speak many languages, and the elves easy acceptance of you, was part of a gift given to you to help you settle into Middle-Earth. Perhaps you were brought here by Ilúvatar, and he, or some of the Valar, knowing the differences between your world and this, decided to help you and gave you these gifts to help you fit in." Gandalf said. I eyed him.  
  
"Have you been talking to Glorfindel?" I asked.  
  
"I haven't seen him recently, no." Gandalf said in amusement. "Why?"  
  
"Because he said almost the same damn thing." I said.  
  
"Perhaps because it is true." Gandalf said serenely.  
  
"You sound like you know something." I said, stopping and turning to face Gandalf, my hands on my hips.  
  
"I know many things." Gandalf said secretively.  
  
"Oh, don't give me that old sage wizard crap. Do you know something about how Kari and I came to be in Middle-Earth or not?" I demanded. Gandalf watched me for several minutes from underneath his bushy eyebrows. Just as I began to tap my foot impatiently, he spoke.  
  
"Over 3000 years have passed since I came from Aman, and in that time, only once have I spoken with the Valar that sent me here. Only once. Well I remember that night, for I had been told all details of what I was to do here in Middle-Earth before leaving Aman, and the Valar knew that I would not forget it. If they had not believed I would not, they would not have sent me. Yet that night, after I had been in Middle-Earth for close to 2000 years, they came to me in my dreams, and spoke to me.  
  
"They spoke to me of a hidden theme in the Music of the Ainur, one started by Ilúvatar himself and carried quietly beneath all the others, unnoticed. It was quiet, and unimportant to the grand scheming that was being sung by most, and thus it was not noticed. Yet now that this theme has entered into Middle-Earth in the flesh, the Valar have discovered that it can not be ignored. This theme spoke of two children of another world, far away from this one, that would come here." Gandalf made as if to go on, but my snort stopped him.  
  
"Oh please. This is just sounding more Mary-Sue by the moment. I should have known wandering near you was a bad idea. It just let the Mary-Sue Factor pull you and the Valar, not to mention Ilúvatar, into its web." I complained grumpily.  
  
"This is not the product of some story!" Gandalf snapped. "Ilúvatar is the creator of the world, not some pawn that even the merest of your people can manipulate. He does what he wants to do, and no one can make him do what he does not want to."  
  
"There are some people in my world that believe that authors are more than Gods, for they not only create worlds and universes, but they create the gods of those worlds and universe." I said blandly. Gandalf looked at me sharply.  
  
"And who do you think guides them to create those worlds and universes and gods?" he asked.  
  
"No one. They create them themselves." I replied. Gandalf looked at me for a moment, and then shook his head in what almost looked like amusement.  
  
"I see." he said, and then turned to leave.  
  
"You see WHAT?" I demanded. Gandalf paused, looked over his shoulder at me, smiled secretively, and then walked off down the path, leaving me to stare after him in confusion.  
  
----To be continued...with swordfighting and Fred!----  
(Not to mention Glorfindel's return...)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
I got bored, I watched some of the new videos on the Lord of the Rings website, and I'm about to go watch The Two Towers again - thus, you have a new chapter. Do enjoy! We'll see when I get my next one up...  
  
In other news, does anyone know if this chapter's title is a real word? I could go look it up at refdesk.com, but I'm too lazy...  
  
Finally, thank you to all my reviewers who are being so patient while I write furiously away on my novel for NaNoWriMo! You all get...hmm...lessee, what do I have to give away...? Ooh, right! Karl Urban clones! Or a random Ranger, if you prefer...I just felt like Karl Urban clones because I saw someone who looks like Karl Urban today...all he needed was longer hair, and I swear he could have been the man's twin. O.o  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	25. Focus

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
I own none of the recognizable characters or places mentioned in this story, or this chapter, and I am not claiming to nor am I trying to make any money off of this story. I should also mention, since several reviewers have mentioned something about this, that while the character of Rachel DOES belong to me, and is based on my own humble personality, there are some major differences - ie, I read a ton of LotR FanFic, Rachel reads none. Also, Rachel is a lot more outspoken than I. Therefore, some of the views expressed by her in this chapter, as well as past and future chapters, are not necisarily my own, but may be put in there simply because I feel it fits with Rachel's personality.  
  
And that is the end of the first serious disclaimer since Chapters 1 and 2.  
  
Glorfindel: You sure?  
  
Yes. Now shut up, you're ruining the effect.  
  
Glorfindel: Yessir!  
  
Ma'am!  
  
Glorfindel: Ma'am!  
  
-25: Focus-  
  
"I yield!" Boromir said, to my immense satisfaction, as I pressed the tip of my sword against his throat. With a smug smile, I withdrew my sword from Boromir's neck, then sheathed my sword and grabbed Boromir's hand, pulling him up. He was looking at me in something akin to amazement.  
  
"I do not believe I have ever seen you fight like that." Elladan commented from the sidelines.  
  
"Indeed, I haven't even taught you most of the moves you just used." Boromir said, eyeing me appraisingly, even as he picked up his own sword from where it lay on the other side of the courtyard.  
  
"Anger can be the fuel for improvisation." I said with a shrug. It was the afternoon after my talk with Gandalf, and I had decided to work out my annoyance at the old wizard in sparring with Boromir and Elladan. Until my most recent spar, I had been losing badly - and rather quickly. Then Elladan had made a comment about how anger clouds the judgment, and after getting annoyed with him for calling me angry when I wasn't - just really annoyed - I decided to see if I could prove him wrong. So I focused my annoyance, and whooped Boromir's arse.  
  
"Ah, but anger will only take you so far." Elladan said, standing and drawing his sword as he walked over. Boromir discreetly left the arena and sat down on the sidelines to watch.  
  
"True. But it can give you that extra boost needed so you can finish your opponent before it runs out." I said with a shrug, drawing and raising my own sword as Elladan and I began to circle.  
  
"Or it can tire you needlessly." Elladan said. "Anger may be good for short, quick duels, but for prolonged fights it is deadly - and not for your opponents."  
  
"How about we test that?" I suggested with an innocent smile, and then lunged at Elladan. He sidestepped quickly, but barely managed to bring his sword down in time to block the sideways swipe of my sword.  
  
Before even I would have thought it possible had I been thinking beyond my sword, I had recovered from my lunge and wheeled to face Elladan again. I blocked his sword as it came towards my neck, and then gave a sharp twist. Elladan's grip was strong, however, and he held onto his sword, turning my twist against me, making a swipe at my side while prancing out of the way of my own sword. Knowing I couldn't pull my sword back quickly enough to block Elladan's swipe, I twisted my body in a way worthy of a contortionist, and Elladan's blade met nothing but air.  
  
Feeling the need for a little space before attacking again, I quickly leapt back several feet, and Elladan and I began circling each other again. This time, it was Elladan who lunged first, but I quickly brought my sword up to block him, and I saw surprise flicker across his face slightly before I realized that he had put his full strength behind that swipe. And I had blocked it. I grinned wolfishly, then ducked and took a swipe at Elladan's legs, which he barely managed to jump over, while I was already going into a roll to avoid his downward swipe.  
  
Finishing my roll, I sprang to my feet not far from Elladan, who was just turning to face me. He was still slightly off-balance when my sword rammed into his, and with satisfaction, I felt his sword slip in his grip under the strength of my attack. As it was, he staggered back a few steps, and I took the opportunity to whip out a foot and hook it around his closest ankle before pulling. Elladan went down, and a quick twist of my sword, still entangled with his, sent his own sword flying.  
  
Before I could bring my sword to Elladan's throat, however, he had rolled out of the way and onto his feet. I spun to face him, arching an eyebrow. He just smiled, then suddenly darted forward, making a grab for my sword. Surprised, I leapt backwards, and Elladan suddenly turned and sprinted over to where his sword lay. Picking it up, he whirled to face me with a satisfied smile.  
  
"Anger clouds your thinking. You must be calm in order to see all your options." he said as we began circling each other again. "If you see all your options, you will be able to plan not only where to attack next, but a strategy for the entire battle that will help you win. Like, for example, I know all I have to do to win this fight is prolong it, because your anger will wear out quickly and you will become tired and easily beaten."  
  
"Oh, but I'm long past anger." I said, grinning mischievously. It was true, too. I hadn't noticed when it had happened, but somehow I'd gone from being angry to being calm and focused, and now my entire mind was centered on the dark-haired Elf before me.  
  
"Then I shall have to devise a new strategy." Elladan said with a shrug, and then leaped forward, letting his sword clash with mine.  
  
One of the things I'd always been annoyed with during my practice was that both Boromir and Elladan could lift their swords with one hand, and sometimes fight that way even though both swords were two-handed, while my sword drooped dangerously and I usually ended out dropping it if I didn't hold onto it with both hands. Elladan, of course, had seen this, and now decided to use it to his advantage, as one of his hands left his sword hilt and whipped forward, grabbing my wrist and pulling. Unprepared, I barely had time to register what Elladan was doing before my hand was ripped off the hilt. Elladan then danced back quickly, and not only did I lose my balance from him suddenly not being there, but my sword wobbled loosely in my hands. I stumbled, and Elladan was in front of me again, his sword slamming into mine and sending it spinning from my grasp.  
  
Without a thought beyond getting away from Elladan's sword, which was now coming back in a swipe for my neck, I bent over backwards, going into a bridge. Deciding that hey, I had probably lost, anyways, and might as well try something, once I was in the bridge, I gave a push with my legs and brought them up, aiming for any part of Elladan I could see. Surprisingly enough, the move worked, as one of my feet connected with Elladan's chin, and his head snapped back even as I fell to the ground again.  
  
While Elladan stumbled backwards to recover from my kick, I rolled onto my stomach and jumped to my feet. A quick glance around revealed my sword not far to my left, and I quickly dashed over to it. I barely had time to pick it up before I had to drop and roll out of the way of Elladan's newest lunge. I sprang to my feet once at a safe distance, and Elladan and I circled again.  
  
Elladan lunged, and the spar continued. Attack, parry, block, retreat, disarm, try and pin Elladan down before he could get to his sword, parry, retreat, get disarmed, try and get to my sword before Elladan could pin me down, block, attack, on and on it went. I was beginning to think the spar was going to be a draw when I suddenly heard something behind me as I circled Elladan. It was quiet, the hiss of a sword leaving its sheath, and I grimaced. So Boromir had decided to join the fray, eh? Well, I beat him once, I could do it again.  
  
Maneuvering carefully so I would not put myself at risk from Elladan the instant I turned to Boromir, I whirled to face the Man, and to my surprise, as I brought my sword up, it clashed with another. I hadn't turned a moment too soon. But even more surprising was that the blade I clashed with was Elvish in origin. I glanced at its owner and tried not to go into shock as I saw the golden hair of one very familiar Elf Lord. I think I 'meep'ed, at least, judging from the chuckle I heard. Who it came from, I don't know, but I suspect Boromir.  
  
At any rate, to make a short story even shorter, Glorfindel had me disarmed in a manner of seconds, and not long after that, I was going cross-eyed looking at the point of his sword.  
  
"I dub thee Fred." I said, still looking at the point of Glorfindel's sword. Glorfindel arched an eyebrow in a clear question.  
  
"The point of your sword." Elladan explained with amusement as he appeared above me. "Mine is George. Boromir's is Bob."  
  
"You name the tips of swords?" Glorfindel asked me, his eyebrow still arched.  
  
"Only those that I find myself staring at." I replied. "But as much as I like making new friends, kindly get Fred out of my face."  
  
"Yield first." Glorfindel insisted. I rolled my eyes.  
  
"I yield!" I said, and Glorfindel's sword disappeared quickly, sheathed before I could blink. He held out his hand to me, and I grabbed it, letting him pull me up.  
  
"Sorry for interrupting," Glorfindel said to Elladan as I went to get my sword. "But your father wants you."  
  
"It was a draw, anyways." Elladan said with a shrug, sheathing his own sword. "What does father want me for?"  
  
"He requests your assistance in healing." Glorfindel replied. Elladan's eyebrows shot up.  
  
"Ah." was all he said, then he said goodbye to Boromir and I and dashed off.  
  
"So, you're back." I said. "How were the Ringwraiths?"  
  
"The usual." Glorfindel said dryly.  
  
"So is Aragorn already here, too?" I asked, and Glorfindel nodded. I snapped my fingers in mock disappointment. "Drat, I wanted to push him in the river." Glorfindel blinked.  
  
"Why?" he asked.  
  
"Cuz he's dirty." I replied with a shrug.  
  
"What are you two talking about?" Boromir interrupted, looking very confused.  
  
"Uh, you'll find out at the council." I said. Boromir gave me a withering look. "What?! You will!"  
  
"Yes, but you are here now, and it would be much easier for you to explain." he said.  
  
"Uh, no, no it wouldn't." I said. "It's long and convoluted. I'd only make a tangle of it, trying to explain it all."   
  
"You seem pretty good at explaining things to me." Glorfindel said dryly.  
  
"Do you want me to stuff a sock in that mouth of yours, or will you shut it yourself?" I asked Glorfindel, arching an eyebrow, my annoyance at Gandalf returning now that I was done sparring and finding a new target in Glorfindel. Glorfindel looked back at me with slight surprise.  
  
"No need to find a sock." Glorfindel said with a slight bow, which I couldn't tell if it was mocking or not.  
  
"Good. Now, I feel the need for a snack. Anyone else wanna come with me?" I asked. Boromir declined, looking slightly annoyed with me, but Glorfindel accepted. We walked in silence to the kitchens, where we snagged some food - incredibly quickly, too, due to Glorfindel's presence (Elf-lords can get anything from kitchen cooks with a little flirting) - before going to the main hall and sitting down at one end of one of the tables there. There were a few other Elves in the hall, either chatting or also having a snack, and one group had a musical instrument of some sort out and seemed to be taking turns playing and singing. It reminded me of the main hall-place thingy in the Harry Potter books.  
  
"So why are you angry?" Glorfindel asked after awhile.  
  
"Not angry, annoyed." I replied with a sigh.  
  
"At what? Or should I ask 'at whom'?" Glorfindel asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Gandalf." I replied. "His secretive 'I-know-something-you-don't-but-I'm-not-going-to-tell-you-even-though-it-concerns-you' routine is very annoying." Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"It usually is. He finally arrived, though?" he asked. I nodded.  
  
"In all his annoying glory!" I said. Glorfindel chuckled again, and it struck me that he had a very nice laugh. Of course, that might just have been the fact that he didn't seem to laugh that often - at least, not that I heard - and like rarity makes a gem more sought after, it made his laugh seem nicer than normal. I shook my head at myself as I realized I was going poetic.  
  
"So what have you been doing? Besides learning how to fight with a sword?" Glorfindel asked, thankfully interrupting my thoughts before I could start wondering why I was going poetic over his laugh.  
  
"And besides being annoyed by Gandalf? Eh, talking to Bilbo. Reading. Various things." I said vaguely, waving a hand through the air. "Also deciding that Rivendell is boring without people to bug or talk to. Reading only lasts for so long."  
  
"Indeed." Glorfindel said, sounding amused.  
  
"Oh, stop being amused." I said in annoyance. "Permanently hyper people with short attention spans for anything not shiny or cool can find any place boring." Glorfindel's attention turned to his drink, which, judging from the attention he was paying it, was the only thing keeping him from laughing. I sighed in exasperation. "Elf-lords..." I muttered. I heard a snicker from Glorfindel, but decided to ignore it in favour of snack. Unfortunately, there was very little of the snack left - I tended to devour food after practicing my sword fighting - so Glorfindel's amusement didn't have much time to dissipate before we were both done and there wasn't much else to do that didn't include talking to one another.  
  
Nonetheless, we managed to settle on one of the few things that didn't - watching the other Elves in the hall. Most of the Elves weren't doing too many interesting things, but the group with the instrument sounded like they were having quite the time, laughing often in-between snatches of song. One of the male elves even snagged one of the ladies and did a quick twirl around the table in a dance. I smiled as I saw that.  
  
"Dancing is so much more civilized here." I commented.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"At home, it's rare to find a dance that doesn't involve being closer than six inches to your partner." I said. "And I won't even go into grinding..."  
  
"Grinding?" Glorfindel asked curiously, and I looked at him in amusement.  
  
"You don't want to know." I said. Glorfindel arched an eyebrow, and I rolled my eyes. "You seriously DON'T want to know, trust me. It's barely accepted even at home. And believe me, a lot of strange things are accepted at home that you wouldn't find even conceivable."  
  
"Your world sounds like an...interesting place." Glorfindel said.  
  
"Interesting? I suppose you could call it that." I said dryly.  
  
"What would you call it?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"Messed up." I replied promptly. Glorfindel arched an eyebrow, asking for more information. "Let's put it this way. At home, we have weapons - readily available to anybody with the money - that can destroy entire cities and poison the lands around them for centuries. Not to mention the clear-cutting of trees, pollution, global warming, politicians and terrorists." Glorfindel probably didn't understand any of that last bit, but my simplified description of a nuke was enough to make him frown. "And, of course, there's the fact that a great number of the populace of my world have grown lazy and fat, not to mention rude, and chivalry is a thing of the past. I could go on."  
  
"No need. I get the picture." Glorfindel said, shaking his head. Glorfindel then started asking me more about my sword lessons, and before long it was time for supper. All Glorfindel and I did was switch from one table to another in the Hall, really, and there we discovered that there were large gaps near the center of the table, since a good majority of those that sat there were busy elsewhere - Elrond and Elladan were both tired from healing, with Elrohir taking care of them (apparently sometime while I'd been away, it had become apparent that Elladan had his father's gift for healing, while Elrohir had his fathers gift for ruling), Gandalf was watching Frodo, Arwen and Aragorn had gone off who knows where, and Boromir had decided to eat in his rooms for some unknown reason. So there were four seats empty on Glorfindel's right, then two empty seats after his until me. I looked over at Glorfindel in amusement as he realized he was basically alone in the middle of the table. That amusement turned to surprise as Glorfindel got up and moved over two seats so he was sitting next to me.  
  
"Stealing Boromir's seat, are we? He won't be pleased." I said. Glorfindel shrugged.  
  
"The only other option was sitting next to Lord Námovaryar, and he's not much company." he replied. "Besides, Lord Boromir isn't using his seat."  
  
"True." I said, and Glorfindel and I turned to our food. We chatted a bit during supper, though not terribly much, considering we'd been chatting most of the afternoon, but the meal still finished surprisingly quickly. I realized when I got out of my chair that I had grown sore already from my sword fighting earlier that day, and tired, so despite Glorfindel's invitation to go to the Hall of Fire, I went to my own room and bed.  
  
----To be continued...with hobbits!----  
(And the Wizard Hat Thief!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Well, I had a four-day weekend, I got bored, I read LotR Fanfiction, and thus, new chapter! Plus, I needed a break from doing NaNoWriMo...And this was the perfect break! Heh. And so was the inspired beginning of the next chapter...(Gandalf's Hat! Sleeping Hobbits! Mwahahahaha!)  
  
Er, right...Yes, I'm insane.  
  
Thank you to all my reviewers again for being patient, I'll try and update again soon! Maybe in another week...That's what I seem to be doing, isn't it? Hmm...just can't stop writing this story. :) Which, I'm sure, for all of you, is a good thing. Anyways, if some of you think the story is slowing down and getting confusing and/or boring, don't worry. It's going to get VERRRRRY interesting soon. If all goes according to plan. I'm just going to say 'Dorwinnian wine' and leave it at that...  
  
-Authors Note 2:-  
My spell-check knows to correct 'Elldan' to 'Elladan' and 'Argorn' to 'Aragorn'.  
  
...  
  
I think I write too many LotR FanFics. O.o  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	26. Hat

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own none of it! None of it, I tell you! I don't even own the reference to strawberry bubble-bath...  
  
Frodo: I am getting very tired of that joke.  
  
CS: Yes, well, until you either grow or figure out how to wield that ring you're carting around effectively, you can't do much about it, hmm?  
  
Frodo: I could bite your legs off.  
  
CS: Great, now the hobbits making Monty Python references...WHO SHOWED FRODO MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL?!  
  
Rachel: Meep! *runs*  
  
CS: Get back here you lily-livered...fictional character! *runs after*  
  
Glorfindel: *snickers* *sings*  
Brave lady Rachel ran away,  
Bravely ran away, away.  
When danger reared its ugly head, she bravely turned her tail and fled.  
Yes, brave lady Rachel turned about  
And gallantly, she chickened out. Bravely taking to her feet,  
She beat a very brave retreat,  
Bravest of the brave, lady Rachel.  
  
Rachel: *still running* Shut up, Glorfindel!  
  
CS: *also still running* Oh wonderful...you got him to watch it, too. Nothing like corrupting innocent minds!  
  
Glorfindel: My mind was anything but innocent, I assure you...  
  
CS: I could debate that. But this disclaimer is getting out of hand, so I won't.  
  
Rachel: Does that mean I can stop running?  
  
CS: Only if you want to get caught.  
  
Rachel: Bah!  
  
-26: Hat-  
  
The next day, after having a quick breakfast, I decided to pop in and see Frodo. It was more of a way to find the rest of the hobbits and discover if they really were as cute as they were in the movies, actually, since Frodo would be out of it for another 3 days. Much to my own amusement, the first thing I did when I entered Frodo's room was take a deep sniff of the air to see if I could smell strawberry bubble-bath - a result of one of the few LotR-related FanFictions Kari had gotten me to read.  
  
There was no scent of strawberry, however. Just four hobbits and a wizard, all apparently asleep in various places around the room. Amused, I went over to Gandalf and peered at him for a moment, trying to determine if he really was asleep or just faking it. A poke in the shoulder revealed that he really was asleep. Delighted at the opportunity, I grabbed his hat off his head, stuck it on my own head, and then went over to the three non-sick looking hobbits zonked out on the vast expanse of the bed. Taking a guess - I used to have trouble telling Merry and Pippin apart in the movies, and they didn't look a whole lot like the actors in real life - I prodded the one healthy, dark-haired hobbit. He stirred, mumbled something about ale, and then went still again. I gave him a shake.  
  
"Huh, whut?" the hobbit asked blearily, sitting up.  
  
"Good morning little master." I said with a smile. The hobbit looked up at me blankly, and then strangely. I remembered I was wearing Gandalf's hat, and nodded over towards the wizard. The hobbit looked over where I had nodded, and snickered when he saw Gandalf asleep. One of the other hobbits stirred at that point, and the hobbit I'd woken up gave the other a solid whack.  
  
"Wake up, Merry!" he said. Merry bolted upright and looked around wildly. The first hobbit snickered again, and I decided right then and there that while, yes, hobbits were as cute in real life as in the movies.  
  
"Fine way to wake someone up, Pip." Merry grumbled when he realized where he was.  
  
"Amusing, though." I said, and Merry started as he noticed me. His eyes glanced on Gandalf's hat, still on my head, and he looked over to Gandalf, then back to me in obvious confusion. When he looked back at me, though, he seemed to realize I was an elf, and female, besides, and somehow he managed to make a half-decent bow from where he was still sitting on the bed.  
  
"Good morning, m'lady." he said.  
  
"Good morning Master Meriadoc." I replied with a smile.  
  
"How did you know my name?" Merry asked with curiosity.  
  
"Gandalf told me." I replied.  
  
"But he's asleep." Pippin said with a light frown.  
  
"Before he went to sleep." I said.  
  
"But he's been here since we arrived." Pippin insisted. "And I don't recall you coming in."  
  
"Ah, but you fell asleep, did you not Master Peregrin?" I replied, arching an eyebrow. "And anyways, I also heard your names from Glorfindel and Elrond. I just had to figure out which one of you was which."  
  
"Very well, you know our names." Merry said with a small smile. "May we know yours?"  
  
"Which one do you want?" I asked dryly.  
  
"Whichever one you wish us to call you by." Merry replied practically.  
  
"Mmm...Rachel will do, then." I said.  
  
"Do you have many other names, Lady Rachel?" Pippin asked curiously.  
  
"Just Rachel, and yes, I do." I replied. "Now, shall we wake up your friend and then see if we can find something to eat? Since I had to wake you up, I'll wager you haven't had breakfast yet." A hobbity stomach growled in agreement. I chuckled. Pippin blushed, then turned to the one remaining un-sick hobbit - Sam - and shook him until he woke up. Sam, unlike Merry and Pippin, woke up slowly, gradually becoming aware of his surroundings. After introducing myself, I asked if he wanted to come for breakfast, but he politely declined, asking if he couldn't just get a meal brought up. I agreed that he could, and then Merry, Pippin and I set off for the kitchens - me still wearing Gandalf's hat.  
  
We reached the kitchens quickly, especially once the hobbits caught the smell of food, and I convinced someone to take two meals up to the room Frodo was staying in - one hobbit-sized, and one normal.  
  
"What's hobbit-sized?" the cook asked when I requested that.  
  
"Half again the size of a normal meal." I replied with a grin, and the cook chuckled before going to put the meals together. I snagged another cook and asked her for two hobbit-sized meals, which resulted in another definition of hobbit-sized before Merry, Pippin and I went out into the main hall to wait for the food.  
  
"Shouldn't it be three meals?" Pippin asked once we were seated.  
  
"I already had breakfast." I said dismissively.  
  
"No, to be taken up to Frodo's room." Pippin clarified. "I mean, Frodo's going to want something to eat."  
  
"When he wakes up, which won't be for another few days." I replied.  
  
"A few days?" Merry asked worriedly. "Isn't that a bit long?"  
  
"Yes, but he needs it to get over his wound." I replied, adding a mental 'mostly' as two kitchen servers brought out the hobbits breakfasts. Merry and Pippin's eyes lit up as they saw the food, then they dug in.  
  
"So why are you wearing Gandalf's hat?" Pippin asked in-between bites of food.  
  
"Who wouldn't want a wizard's hat?" I said with a smirk.  
  
"Not me." Merry said, and Pippin nodded in agreement.  
  
"They might try and get it back." he said. I chuckled.  
  
"He can try all he likes. I'm keeping it. At least for awhile. It was his own fault for falling asleep, anyways." I said. Merry and Pippin looked at each other for a moment, and then mutually shrugged, as if saying there was no understanding Elves.  
  
After Merry and Pippin had finished eating, I asked them if they'd like to go see Bilbo, or return to Frodo's room, and the answer was most definitely for the first suggestion. So I led the two hobbits - who were now scarily energetic - off to the library, where we found Bilbo. He was sitting in the same chair I'd first seen him in, engrossed in a book, his own book not far away, open to some half-drawn drawing. Apparently he was doing a little research.  
  
I watched and listened to the hobbits for awhile, but it soon became apparent that they'd forgotten all about me, so I meandered off, heading back to Frodo's room. Gandalf had left sometime since I had last been there and had been replaced by Elrond, who arched an eyebrow at me when I entered.  
  
"He is looking for that, you know." Elrond commented without preamble.  
  
"Tough. It's now mine." I said, making a face, knowing he was talking about the hat. "At least until he finds me." Elrond shook his head in amusement.  
  
"Where are the other two now?" Elrond asked.  
  
"With Bilbo in the library. I figured he could keep them out of trouble." I replied. Elrond looked slightly worried at that, especially when Sam mumbled something about 'troublemakers' that I couldn't quite catch, though Elrond obviously did.  
  
"So, how is Mister Frodo Baggins, anyways?" I asked, coming over to the bed and peering down at Frodo.  
  
"Fairly well, considering what he has been through." Elrond answered. "I am concerned that he shows no sign of waking up, however." I smiled slightly.  
  
"He'll wake in a day or three, I'm sure." I said, and Elrond shot me a slightly amused, slightly warning, look.  
  
"I did not say I did not think he would wake. Just that it concerned me that he had not." Elrond said. I grinned back.  
  
"Close enough." I said. "So, is Aragorn around somewhere? I have yet to meet him..."  
  
"Last I knew, he was still in bed." Elrond said dryly. "Feel free to wake him up."  
  
"How about anyone else that might be in there with him?" I asked cheerily, earning myself an Elrond Glare.  
  
"As I said, feel free to wake him up." Elrond practically growled. I grinned again, and then dashed out of the room before the fire I'd played with got around to burning me. Of course, once I had left the room, I realized that I had no clue where Aragorn's room was. So I grabbed a random Elf and asked them where Estel's rooms were. 'By Lord Elladan and Lord Elrohir's' was the response, so I set off for those two rooms. Upon reaching the twins rooms, I was relieved to discover that there was only one door that was close enough to Elladan and Elrohir's to be considered 'by' their rooms, so I knocked lightly on it.  
  
There was no response. Cautiously, I opened the door and peeked inside. My Elvish hearing picked up some quiet breathing in the next room, and a dirty cloak draped across the chair, the type no Elf would ever wear, alerted me that this was the right room. I tiptoed across to the bedroom door, opened it slightly, and peeked in. Aragorn was there, sprawled across his bed, tangled in the blankets, the lower half of one arms dangling off the edge of the mattress. I tried not to drool too much, and resisted the urge to giggle.  
  
I resisted even harder when I realized that I was basically going into a strange guy's room to wake him up for no real reason. Aragorn would probably flip out. Arwen would probably try and kill me. Especially since the clothes on the floor, and the bit of bare back that the blankets revealed, indicated that Aragorn slept in very little, if anything. I smirked. Oh what the fangirls at home wouldn't give to know that. Oh what my mind was thinking already knowing that.  
  
Aragorn shifted in his bed, mumbling something about 'pretty', and I pulled myself out of my thoughts and decided it was time to interrupt his lovely dreams. Probably of Arwen. I walked over to the bed, and glanced around to make sure that all of Aragorn's OBVIOUS weapons were out of his reach - startled humans did some stupid things (I should know) - then gave him a good shake. He mumbled, rolled over, and went still again. I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Well, let's see if the future King Elessar is ticklish, then." I said. After only a minimal amount of hunting, I found where his sides were, and tickled. Aragorn jerked away from my tickling fingers, then curled into the fetal position and remained that way.  
  
"All right, enough is enough. Elrond says it's time for you to get up, m'boy, and I am more than happy to oblige." I said half to myself after I recovered from my giggles at the sight of Aragorn in the fetal position, then leaned over and gave Aragorn a push. As intended, he fell out of the bed with a loud THUD. I nodded in satisfaction as his head, with eyes open, appeared on the other side of the bed a few moments later, looking around wildly.  
  
"I bring a message from the Lord of Rivendell - time to get out of bed!" I said cheerfully when Aragorn noticed me. Aragorn looked at me blankly for a few moments, then shook his head and pulled himself back onto the bed - carefully keeping the blankets wrapped around his waist, effectively covering everything from his waist down.  
  
"Since when does Elrond send messengers to tell me to get out of bed?" Aragorn asked as he flopped back down on the bed, letting his eyes close halfway.  
  
"Since you started sleeping in." I replied, just as cheerfully as before. Aragorn looked at me blankly for a moment, and then started REALLY looking at me.  
  
"Who ARE you?" he asked finally.  
  
"That depends on who you ask, but you can call me Rachel." I replied with a grin.  
  
"Rachel? I have heard that name before..." Aragorn said slowly, frowning lightly.  
  
"I'm sure you have." I said with a snort. "But it's not important at this moment. It's time for you to get out of bed and have breakfast. There are all sorts of cool people wandering around that you should meet, not to mention Arwen's probably wondering how the heck you can sleep so late."  
  
"I doubt it." Aragorn said with a smirk that I decided not to guess at the cause of.  
  
"No comment." I said dryly. "I shall be waiting outside." Then I bounced out of the room. I sat down in one of the chairs in the sitting room to wait.  
  
One thing I have learned: Aragorn may look really cool in the movies, but it takes a really RALLY long time for him to look that way. I was waiting for about half an hour, and had succumbed to checking out Aragorn's small book collection by the time Aragorn finally emerged from his bedroom.  
  
"Let's go find you some breakfa - er, lunch, shall we?" I said, already heading for the door. Aragorn nodded, though he seemed slightly freaked out by me now that he was more awake. I ignored his freaked-outedness, however, and headed for the kitchen for the third time that morning, this time followed by Aragorn.  
  
----To be continued...with Evil!Glorfindel!----  
(And the setup for the beginning of the fun!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Muhahahahaha, this was a fun chapter. I don't care if people say it's highly improbable for Rachel to go into Aragorn's room and wake him up when she doesn't even know him - it's funny, and would be fun! *nodnod* Almost as fun as stealing Gandalf's hat...ever notice that once he becomes Gandalf the White he loses his hat? And he goes through Lothlorien on his journey to find the Fellowship again once he's becoem Gandalf the White...hmm...  
  
Anywho, the real plot is about to come along and start biting peoples butts. In other words, things are going to start happening rather quickly. Oh, the fun, the fun! And soon I'll be able to write more on this story - I'm only 8,000 words from finishing NaNoWriMo! (and yet I haven't even reached the main plot point...in fact, I JUST got my two main characters to meet...) So, thanks to all my reviewers yet again for being so utterly patient with me! Postings will be picking up shortly! I hope. Bah, they'd better...  
  
Now, I'm off to start a fire (in the fireplace!) and find something warm to drink and/or eat...  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	27. Calm

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Glorfindel: Erestor and I have taken over the disclaimer because Crimson Starlight is...doing something I don't care to guess at.  
  
Erestor: Didn't you ask her why she was letting us do the disclaimer.  
  
Glorfindel: No.  
  
Erestor: ...  
  
Glorfindel: When the Author lets you have power, you take it, and don't ask questions.  
  
Erestor: Oh. Right.  
  
Glorfindel: *shakes head* You are so naive about Authors and FanFictions.  
  
Erestor: Can I help it if I've only made cursory appearances in FanFictions?! (except for the odd slash)  
  
Glorfindel: Well, no. I guess not. I'll have to go hunt down a few Authors and get them to write FanFictions about you so you can have the expierience...  
  
Erestor: ...You could get the Authors to do that?  
  
Glorfindel: A few well-placed IOU's and promises work wonders, my friend.  
  
Erestor: IOU's? Promises? What for?  
  
Glorfindel: Oh, various things. The IOU's are usually for the Prince of Mirkwood bound, gagged and delivered in a box with a bow on top. Or Estel, Elrohir, Elladan, Elrond, Haldir, Boromir, Faramir, Frodo, Merry or Pippin. The promises are usually that I'll come back when it's night. Or whenever their boyfriends have left.  
  
Erestor: ...O.o  
  
Glorfindel: Crimson Starlight owns nothing.  
  
-27: Calm-  
  
It turned out it was nearer to lunch than I'd thought, and Aragorn and I were just in time to join the rest of Rivendell in eating. Elladan, Elrond and Gandalf were still missing, so there was still some large gaps in the table, though not as large as before. Boromir had shown up, however, and I was forced to leave Aragorn to Arwen, who looked surprised that Aragorn was up - I stopped my mind from wondering why - and sit between Boromir and the Elf-lord that sat next on my other side, whose name I'd yet to learn. I am really not that talkative when it comes to boring Elf-lords.  
  
On top of Arwen looking surprised to see Aragorn up, there were numerous other surprised faces as I walked in and sat down. Glorfindel looked surprised that Aragorn and I had come in together, as did Elrohir, Aragorn looked surprised that I had a seat at the head table, and Boromir looked surprised to find another human in Rivendell, especially one that got to sit beside Lord Elrond's daughter. Actually, Boromir looked more grumpy about that than anything else. Despite all I had tried to stop it, he'd still developed a rather big ego, and Aragorn sitting farther up on the table wounded that ego.  
  
"He's Lord Elrond's foster son." I explained to Boromir with an amused smile as I sat down. Boromir blinked in surprise.  
  
"I was unaware Elves were in the habit of fostering humans." he said.  
  
"They aren't." I said dryly. "Aragorn's a special case."  
  
"Oh?" Boromir asked curiously.  
  
"You'll find out at the council." I replied dismissively. Boromir snorted.  
  
"That's your answer to everything these days." he said.  
  
"Hey, I can't help it if a lot of things are going to be discussed at the council!" I said defensively.  
  
"No, but you could explain SOME things to me instead of making me wait." Boromir retorted. "It's annoying."  
  
"I can't help it, either, if most of the things you want to know about are important things that would take forever to explain." I muttered. Boromir just shook his head, and we turned to our food. All in all, with some Elf-lord that didn't seem particularly inclined to speak to me on one side, and a sulking Boromir on the other, it wasn't a very pleasant meal. I was glad when I finished and was able to get up and head off.  
  
I was intending to go for a walk and think about recent events, something I hadn't actually stopped and done for awhile, but Glorfindel caught up with me just outside the hall.  
  
"Going anywhere in particular?" he asked.  
  
"Not really." I replied with a shrug.  
  
"Would you like to go for a ride, then?" he asked.  
  
"Sure." I replied with a shrug. "Just let me go change into a riding dress."  
  
"I shall meet you at the stables shortly, then?" Glorfindel asked with a small smile, and I nodded before he went off down one hallway, leaving me to head for my room. I changed quickly, left Gandalf's hat on my bed, and then found my way out to the stables. Glorfindel was there, already mounted on Asfaloth, and my own horse from Gondor, named Black Thunder for a horse I'd written into a story - never mind the fact that this horse was a mud grey mare, while the horse in the story had been a jet black war stallion - was standing beside him placidly, already bridled and saddled. I eyed her for a second.  
  
"Right, off with the saddle." I said to the groom that was holding Thunder's reigns. The Elf looked at me in slight surprise, then quickly shook off said surprise and obliged, taking off Thunder's saddle. Thunder shifted nervously as I mounted, but I had made sure she had been trained to be ridden bareback, so that was all the reaction I got out of her.  
  
"So, where are we going?" I asked.  
  
"Anywhere that involves spot checkups on the border guards." Glorfindel replied, an evil gleam in his eyes, and I chuckled.  
  
"Evil Elf." I said, and then followed Glorfindel as he set off.  
  
I had hoped that perhaps I might still be able to think on the ride, but Glorfindel was in a mood to talk - particularly about hobbits - and I was soon absorbed in a conversation discussing different cultures and how they got along from day to day. It was fascinating, really, especially since Glorfindel had been around so long and seen so many different cultures rise and fall.  
  
Soon, though, Glorfindel went quiet, and Asfaloth's footsteps audibly quieted even to my untrained ear. Thunder, I'm sorry to say, tromped along just as noisily as ever. I was still able to catch what Glorfindel had heard, however, with a minimal amount of concentration - the airy voices of some Elven sentries, not far ahead. To Glorfindel's visible disgust, as we got closer, there was no indication from the guards that they knew we were there, even with Thunder's loud clomping. Eventually, we stopped underneath a tree, the branches of which hid the sources of the Elvish voices.  
  
"A fine lot of guards you are!" Glorfindel called up. Abruptly the voices stopped, and moments later two heads appeared through the branches of the tree.  
  
"Lord Glorfindel. We did not know you were coming out today." one of the elves said, slightly sheepishly.  
  
"That was the point." he said. "After all, how else am I supposed to discover which guards are so inept that they can not even notice the approach of a human horse?" The two elves managed to squirm uncomfortably, even though all we could see of them were their heads.  
  
"We are sorry, Lord Glorfindel, we got...bored." the other elf said.  
  
"Guarding usually is boring. But you must remain alert despite that." Glorfindel scolded.  
  
"We understand. It will not happen again." the first elf said.  
  
"See that it doesn't." Glorfindel said, then turned Asfaloth and headed off, leaving the two guards to sheepishly return to their post as I followed after the Elf-lord.  
  
"New guys?" I asked as I caught up to Glorfindel. He nodded curtly.  
  
"Most of the guards are, unfortunately. And those that are not new, are long out of practice." he said, sounding slightly bitter. "Despite the growing danger of Sauron, most of the Elves have let their strength diminish, trusting in their leaders, and the powers they wield, to protect them. They train themselves in disciplines of the mind, instead of disciplines of war. Very few, I think, would survive even single combat with a common Orc." I resisted the urge to comment that it was a good thing they wouldn't have to, then.  
  
"What about the Mirkwood Elves?" I asked. Glorfindel brightened slightly.  
  
"Ah, they are some of the few that have kept up their skills." he said.  
  
"Nasty spiders and dragons, not to mention necromancers, will do that to you." I said dryly. Glorfindel nodded.  
  
"The Lorien Elves have also kept up their skills somewhat, but here in Rivendell...it is like Elrond's love of peace and tranquility has transferred onto all who come here." Glorfindel waved a hand vaguely through the air in the direction of Rivendell. "While I will admit that peace and tranquility has its place, now is not the time, with war brewing all around us."  
  
"Hear hear." I said with an emphatic nod. "Of course, I tend to find peace and tranquility boring unless I'm in the mood for it, which isn't often, so I could be slightly biased." Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"You really can find anything boring, can't you?" he commented.  
  
"Yep." I said, and then started abruptly as a voice came down out of the trees.  
  
"Hail, Lord Glorfindel!" Glorfindel smiled slightly, then hailed the guard elf that had snuck up on us right back, and they exchanged a few simple pleasantries before we continued on our way.  
  
Glorfindel and I continued on that routine - circling around the border of Rivendell, checking on the guards - for the entire afternoon, and only twice more were we able to sneak up on the guards. The second time it happened, Glorfindel chewed out the guards again, but the third time, once we were stopped underneath the tree the guards were up in, chatting away, Glorfindel looked at me and arched an eyebrow, silently asking if I wanted to startle the guards. I did so with great pleasure. Somehow, and unknown female's voice seemed to startle the guards more than Glorfindel's had startled the other guards.  
  
In the end, with the sun beginning to set and the air beginning to chill - it WAS October - we headed back to Rivendell, skipping the last few guard stations in favour of some food. We went to the main hall, again, and this time the head table was full, all those that were supposed to sit there having decided to show up for this meal. Gandalf, I noticed with a smug smile, was still missing his hat. He apparently was feeling the lack, as well, as he pursed his lips and gave me his best 'parent-scolding-a-misbehaving-child' look. I smiled innocently, and then went to my seat.  
  
Boromir seemed to have recovered from his sulk, thankfully, and I was able to chat with him a bit about various things. He'd apparently wandered into the library during the afternoon, and had ended out speaking with Bilbo, so he was full of stories. Most of which I had heard before, though I didn't tell him that. Near the end, though, Boromir wanted to talk about the Hall of Fire, and why I hadn't mentioned it before, and how I would be showing him to the hall after supper whether I wanted to or not. So when Glorfindel popped up after supper asking if I was up to going to the Hall of Fire THIS night, I was obliged to tell him that since Boromir needed a guide, yes, I was going to the hall. And so off I went, leading Boromir, with Glorfindel tagging along for no apparent reason other than that he was going the same place.  
  
----To be continued...with wine!----  
(I ain't sayin' no more.)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Alright, I'm updating rather quickly because of several things. Foremost is that I am ALMOST done my NaNoWriMo novel, and am very very happy about that. After that, it's becuase I have a few things to say. Which really could have waited, but hey, I felt like updating again.  
  
First thing to say is: Who thinks I should save Boromir in this fic? Or have him save himself by using his shield? I don't particularily care one way or another, as I already devoted an entire fanfiction to him, so I'm leaving it up to you, my reviewers.  
  
Second thing: To clarify, the secondary genre of 'romance' for this story is NOT just for Kari and Elrohir. Oh no. This will end with Rachel/Glorfindel romance, one way or another. I thought I mentioned it earlier on, but I guess I didn't - probably because I wasn't sure if it was going to be Elladan/Rachel or Glorfindel/Rachel until I wrote the chapter where Rachel ran off (the first time).  
  
Anyways. I'm off to read something humourous...or watch the movies again...anything, really, that stops me from going into shock at the fact that three libraries in my city are closing, one of which I frequent and another one my dad works at. In four months. Bah.  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	28. Wine

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I do not own anything. Further more, I am not a specialist in Elven culture, nor do I claim to be, so any mistakes it this chapter or following ones pertaining to Elvish culture are just that - mistakes. But I ain't gonna be changing them, because they need to be there for the storyline to continue the way I want it to.  
  
Rachel: Somehow, I like it better when you're off doing something and someone else gets to do the disclaimer.  
  
Kari: Hmm, indeed - more amusing.  
  
Rachel: ACK! It's Kari! *falls over from shock*  
  
Kari: What?! Just because I haven't been in the past...15 chapters...of this fanfiction, doesn't mean I fell of the edge of the earth!  
  
Rachel: Yeah, but...you surprised me.  
  
Kari: Everything surprises you. The fact that the sky is BLUE surprises you EVERY MORNING.  
  
Rachel: Not EVERY morning! Sometimes it's grey. And that's just as surprising.  
  
CS: Ai carumba...  
  
-28: Wine-  
  
The Hall of Fire was much as I remembered it from the one night I'd visited it so many years ago. Really just a large room with fireplaces scattered along the walls, the hall also boasted excellent acoustics, and many comfortable chairs to sit in. Four of the chairs in one of the corners of the room, I noted, now contained three hobbits - Merry, Pippin and Bilbo - and a ranger - Aragorn. Hiding a smirk, I saw that Arwen was not far away from the hobbits and ranger, talking with her brothers about something or another. Neither Aragorn nor Arwen's attention was on their companions, much, though.  
  
Turning my attention away from Aragorn and Arwen's antics, I looked around the rest of the Hall and saw that it was as full, if not fuller, than it had been the last time I was there. Elves were standing or sitting all around the hall, with only the small raised platform for performers in the middle of the room remaining clear. Except for when there were performers on it, of course, but there currently weren't any. Still, the Hall held an air of, well, happiness, for lack of another word. Elf voices mixed and swirled around, and even without trying, they almost seemed to make a music all their own.  
  
"Incredible." I heard Boromir mutter under his breath as he looked around with wide eyes. Glorfindel and I looked at each other with amusement, then I lead the still-awed Boromir to an empty chair that was nearby and sat him down. He seemed content to just watch the Hall from his chair, so I wandered off to where Aragorn and the hobbits were, Glorfindel, once again, tagging along.  
  
"Hey Aragorn!" I said cheerfully as I approached, purposefully stepping in-between him and Arwen to get his attention. Aragorn blinked in surprise, and then inclined his head towards me slightly.  
  
"Hello, Lady Rachel." he said.  
  
"I keep telling people - it's just Rachel. No title." I said with a tsk.  
  
"Very well, Rachel." Aragorn said with an arched eyebrow.  
  
"Good good. Now you can go back to staring at Arwen." I said with a mischievous grin, moving out from between him and Arwen. Aragorn gave me a weary look, and then undermined it by letting his gaze slip past me to where I knew Arwen was standing. My grin widened, and I turned my attention to the hobbits.  
  
"How are you three tonight?" I asked.  
  
"Bored." Pippin replied, and was promptly shushed by Merry. I heard Glorfindel chuckle behind me.  
  
"You're not the only one." I told Pippin with a smile. "But it gets more interesting once people start singing and telling tales."  
  
"Not to mention everyone has a few drinks." Bilbo put in cheerfully. I winced.  
  
"Yep, that makes things interesting all right." I said, remembering the result of my last visit to the Hall of Fire. "Which reminds me that I shall be staying away from the drinks and thereby the performance platform for the night." Pippin looked slightly put out.  
  
"Why? The ale is excellent!" he said.  
  
"I'm sure it is. But alcohol, the Hall of Fire, and I do not mix." I replied dryly.  
  
"I would not say that. It got a nice song out of you last time." Glorfindel commented.  
  
"Oh yes, the song in an unknown language that was part of the trigger for me going AWAY from Rivendell for the past 800 years or so." I replied, rolling my eyes.  
  
"You've been away from Rivendell for the past 800 years?" Merry asked in interest before Glorfindel could reply. I nodded. "Where did you go?"  
  
"Gondor, Rohan, Bree, wherever." I replied with a shrug. "Never made it east of the Misty Mountains, unfortunately."  
  
"You've been to Bree? Where did you stay?" Pippin asked, immediately latching onto a subject he knew something about. I smiled.  
  
"The Prancing Pony. I actually worked there for a bit, too." I said.  
  
"Indeed." came a voice from behind me, and I turned to find Gandalf.  
  
"Hiya Gandalf!" I said cheerfully. Gandalf arched an eyebrow in response.  
  
"Where is my hat?" he asked.  
  
"Safe and secure. You can have it back in a couple of months." I replied with a mischievous grin. Gandalf gave me a weary look.  
  
"I would like to have it back NOW, please." he said.  
  
"Then find it yourself." I replied with a smile. For a moment, Gandalf and I simply looked at each other, both determined not to yield, but Gandalf finally turned and walked off, mumbling under his breath.  
  
"That was brave." Pippin said, his eyes wide, as I turned back to the hobbits.  
  
"I thought you were going to be fried for sure!" Merry put in. I shrugged.  
  
"If you don't show fear, you can stare down just about anybody." I said. "Probably even Sauron. Though it would be a little hard, since he's just a flaming eyeball at the moment and thereby has probably spent a great amount of time practicing staring people down. Though I rather think Gandalf intentionally let me win that little round. How has your stay in Rivendell been so far?"  
  
"Wonderful!" Merry replied eagerly. "It's very nice here." I smiled slightly.  
  
"Ah, you should see Lothlorien." I said.  
  
"Lothlorien?" Pippin asked curiously. "Where's that?"  
  
"South of here. It's another Elven kingdom. Very pretty place." I replied.  
  
"I was unaware you had traveled to Lothlorien." Glorfindel commented.  
  
"I didn't." I said blandly. Three hobbits and an Elf-lord looked at me in confusion. "I've heard tales and seen a few pictures drawn in books." I supplied. Bilbo's eyes lit up in understanding.  
  
"Was that why you were looking for books with drawings in them the other day?" he asked.  
  
"That and I didn't feel like reading." I replied with a shrug. Bilbo chuckled. At that point, a song came drifting from the center of the room, and I turned to discover some female Elf had gotten up to sing. Glancing behind me, I saw that Merry and Pippin were fast becoming enthralled by the song, and I smiled slightly as I leaned back against the wall to watch and listen to the performance. So absorbed in the performance was I, I didn't even notice that Glorfindel had disappeared until he reappeared with two glasses of some liquid or another. I eyed the cup he held out to me distrustfully.  
  
"It is safe, I assure you." he said with amusement.  
  
"Does it have alcohol in it?" I asked as I took it. Glorfindel nodded. "Then its safety is debatable." I took a sip of the drink, and then blinked in surprise before giving Glorfindel a disapproving look. "This is pure mirovur!" Glorfindel gave an unconcerned shrug and leaned against a patch of wall not far from me, sipping at his own glass. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to the performance.  
  
I carefully nursed that one glass of mirovur for the next few hours, during which I felt I must have ended out talking with just about everyone I knew, and was introduced to a few others, besides. Much to my amusement, Elladan appeared part way through the evening with the shy librarian Mírëría on his arm, and he did the rounds of introducing her to everyone. A short chat with Arwen later revealed that he was doing it on a dare that was actually for his own good, since Elladan and Mírëría were the only ones that couldn't see how much the two of them were falling for each other. The hobbits had, probably unfortunately, been near enough to hear that, and got mischievous grins on their faces. Soon they were huddled off in the corner where Bilbo was sitting, whispering furiously and receiving wry, amused looks from Bilbo.  
  
Boromir eventually pulled himself out of his awe and came to talk with me not long after Elladan and Mírëría had appeared, and Glorfindel had, by that point, consumed enough alcohol that he thought it was a jolly good idea to go introduce Boromir to some of the Elf-lords. And so Boromir and Glorfindel were occupied for most of the evening. It was while I was watching them go that Arwen showed up and we had our little chat about Elladan and Mírëría. Not long after we finished talking, Elladan appeared again, with Mírëría still in tow, and he and Arwen proceeded to pester me about getting up and singing.  
  
"We've heard nothing like that song you sang last time since you left. Kari refused to sing, and no one else could imitate the song properly." Arwen insisted.  
  
"Yeah, well, I can't blame Kari for not wanting to sing. It probably brought back bad memories for her, just as it does for me." I said, rolling my eyes. "And besides, the only reason you got me up there in the first place was that I was half drunk. I HATE getting up in front of crowds."  
  
"Yes, but look around, only half the hall is paying attention at any given time." Elladan wheedled. "So, really, you will only have a small crowd listening."  
  
"As soon as I get up there, they're all going to stop and listen." I replied grumpily.  
  
"Very well, then, we shall just have to get you more drink." Elladan said, and whisked my glass out of my hand and was off getting it refilled before I could protest.  
  
"Not like I'm going to drink it." I muttered when he returned, handing me my glass, once again full of some strong alcoholic beverage.  
  
"We can always hope." Elladan said with a slight bow. Then he turned to Mírëría. "Shall we?" Mírëría smiled and took his offered arm, and they set off.  
  
"You really should sing. You have a beautiful voice." Arwen said once they were gone.  
  
"So I'm told." I replied moodily, sipping at my drink unconsciously. As the liquid hit my tongue, however, I almost spat it out in surprise. "Good god, what did Elladan GET me?" I exclaimed, peering at my glass. Arching and eyebrow, Arwen held her hand out and I handed her the glass. Cautiously, she took a sniff of it, then a small sip, and chuckled.  
  
"Dorwinnian wine." she replied as she handed my glass back.  
  
"I thought wine was supposed to taste BETTER than ale?" I asked, peering into the glass once again.  
  
"Only those wines that are not almost pure alcohol." Arwen replied dryly. I looked at her in surprise, and she looked back with amusement. "There's a reason Dorwinnian wine is favored by Elves who wish to get drunk."  
  
"Agh, stupid Elladan." I muttered. "What use is getting drunk if the drink you're using to get drunk doesn't even taste good?"  
  
"Hopefully, that you shall decide to sing." Arwen replied with a mischievous grin, and then glided off somewhere. Probably to moon over Aragorn. Glorfindel, naturally, chose that moment to show up, looking far too cheery to be any more than half sober, and decided to take a drink from my glass instead of going and getting his own. He arched an eyebrow when he tasted the wine.  
  
"Feeling the need for strong drink, are we?" he asked as he handed my glass back. I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Elladan got it for me because I told him I needed to be drunk before I would sing." I said. "Therefore, I don't have any intention of drinking any more of it." I handed the glass back to Glorfindel at that, and he happily took it and disappeared into the crowd again. Not long after, I saw Boromir, unconscious, being dragged out of the hall by a grinning Glorfindel and an exasperated looking Aragorn. Well, at least I knew where the wine had gone. Which was a good thing, considering that Elladan choose that moment to show up.  
  
"Where did your drink go?" he asked.  
  
"Into Boromir." I said, nodding towards the exit of the hall, where Boromir's boots were just disappearing around the corner.  
  
"You gave Boromir Dorwinnian wine?" Elladan asked, his eyebrows shooting up.  
  
"Actually, I gave the glass to Glorfindel, and I'm guessing that he gave it to Boromir." I replied with a shrug. Elladan sighed.  
  
"Never give Glorfindel Dorwinnian wine." he said. "He always takes it straight to the nearest human."  
  
"Why?" I asked curiously. Elladan shrugged.  
  
"I think he finds drunken humans funny." he said, then smiled ruefully at my strange look. "Glorfindel has an...odd sense of humour."  
  
"So I'm beginning to gather." I said dryly.  
  
"So if you gave Glorfindel the wine, are you ready to sing?" Elladan asked brightly, changing the subject.  
  
"No." I said, rolling my eyes. "I gave the wine away specifically because I do not want to sing." Elladan managed to actually pout.  
  
"But you sing so nicely!" he protested. "And the last song you sang was in my head, driving me crazy, for weeks after you left. The least you can do is sing it - or some other song - again."  
  
"No, Elladan." I replied firmly, and Elladan sighed dejectedly.  
  
"Fine then." he said pitifully, and sulked off. The effect was ruined when, halfway across the hall, he glanced over his shoulder to see if I was wavering. I just smiled serenely at him, and then returned to watching the musicians that were currently performing.  
  
"That was interesting." Glorfindel said cheerfully when he appeared a few minutes later.  
  
"What, getting Boromir so drunk he passed out?" I asked.  
  
"You saw?" Glorfindel asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"I saw you and Aragorn dragging him out after the fact." I replied, rolling my eyes.  
  
"Ah, you should have seen before that. I do not think I have ever seen alcohol hit someone so quickly." Glorfindel said, practically bouncing up and down.  
  
"Mmm, speaking of alcohol, how much have you had?" I asked, eyeing Glorfindel. "I have never seen you this cheerful or carefree, and frankly, it's scaring me." Glorfindel rolled his eyes.  
  
"I am still walking straight, so I have not had nearly enough." he said. "And I always get cheerful when I get drunk. Unless certain topics are discussed." he frowned lightly at that, and then shook his head to dismiss whatever his thoughts were. "Anyways, you would not happen to know where Elladan found that Dorwinnian wine, would you?" Glorfindel looked almost hopeful.  
  
"No." I replied, shaking my head. "I don't know. I would assume the table with drinks on it, though."  
  
"No, it is too strong. Elrond never just sets it out." Glorfindel said with a frown.  
  
"Then why don't you ask Elrond for some?" I asked.  
  
"He'll want to know why I want it and ask a bunch of nosey questions." Glorfindel said, waving a hand through the air dismissively.  
  
"Go ask Elladan, then." I said.  
  
"He will just assume I want to get Aragorn drunk again." Glorfindel said with a frown.  
  
"Again?" I asked, arching an eyebrow, and Glorfindel nodded, grinning mischievously.  
  
"Again." he confirmed, and then ambled off in the general direction of Elladan after saying something about the twin being his best bet. I shook my head in amusement.  
  
"Sometimes I think he is more unnerving drunk than sober." A voice said from beside me, and I turned to find Elrohir standing beside me, frowning after Glorfindel. This was the first time he'd talked to me since our little encounter in the library.  
  
"That's probably only because of how dramatically his personality changes." I replied cautiously.  
  
"Father claims that Lord Glorfindel's true personality only shows when he is drunk." Elrohir commented. "He says that the rest of the time it is simply an act for the other lords." I frowned thoughtfully as I looked over to where Glorfindel had cornered Elladan and was talking to him about something - probably where the Dorwinnian wine was hidden.  
  
"I suppose that could be." I said. "Drink does strange things to people." Elrohir nodded.  
  
"Grandmother once commented that the female who got Lord Glorfindel to act like he was drunk when he was not would end out being his wife." he said, then chuckled. "The scary part is, I think she was speaking from foreknowledge."  
  
"I'm sure." I said, shifting from foot to foot as I wondered why the heck Elrohir had decided to speak to me and do nothing more than comment on who Glorfindel was going to marry. While I was wondering, there came a shout from across the hall, followed by a blonde blur, heading straight for the exit. It dashed out without being intercepted, and moments later, Elladan came stalking over.  
  
"Did you HAVE to tell him where you got the wine?" he asked me irritably.  
  
"Hey, I told him before I knew it was dangerous." I said with a shrug.  
  
"How much did he make off with?" Elrohir asked curiously.  
  
"The entire flask." Elladan growled in response. Elrohir made a displeased noise.  
  
"It took us years to get all that!" he said.  
  
"Yeah, well, it's all going to be in Lord Glorfindel's belly soon, if it isn't already." Elladan said grumpily. "Times like this I almost wish he could suffer a human hangover."  
  
"He could, if you whacked him repeatedly in the head while he was asleep." I said dryly.  
  
"He would wake up and we would be gutted before we could blink." Elrohir said with a sigh. "His reflexes and fighting abilities only get better with drink." I blinked.  
  
"Well THAT'S odd." I said.  
  
"Mmm, but his co-ordination goes down. So he is just a really fast, really skilled, clumsy opponent." Elladan said.  
  
"My brain is telling me that's a contradiction, but I can't figure out how." I said, giving Elladan and blank look.  
  
"Everyone else says the same thing." Elrohir said dryly.  
  
"We can not figure it out, either." Elladan said, shaking his head. "We just know that it is true." The twins shared a wry look that morphed into a wince after a moment at some shared memory.  
  
"Some day, I would love to hear this story. For now, however, I think I'm going to get some sleep so I can be awake to deal with Boromir tomorrow. He's incredibly unpleasant when he has a hangover." I said.  
  
"Father can give him something to get rid of the hangover." Elladan commented.  
  
"But he has to get close to Boromir first." I replied dryly. Elrohir and Elladan simultaneously arched an eyebrow. I smiled, then waved, and made my way out of the Hall.  
  
----To be continued...with a tree!----  
(And tales of a drunk Glorfindel!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Well, the opinions about whether Boromir should die or not are flying back and forth...and it's currently for him surviving. *shakes head* Strange. I would have thought it would be for him dying. Still, keep your opinions coming - I'll keep taking down opinions until I write the chapter where I have to make the decision. Which will be a rather long ways off. *cough*  
  
Anywho. To answer Melia's question: Yep, Kari is still in Lothlorien, chillin and probably annoying the heck out of Creepy Lady. Or not. Since Creepy Lady is now her grandmother-in-law...*shudder* urg. Imagine having Galadriel for a in-law...scary.  
  
As you have probably guessed, I've gone back to my usual two-chapters-a-week routine, and I might even speed up in that posting, depending on how quickly I can write good chapters. So, thank you one last time to all those reviewers who were patient while I went on temporary haitus to write a really freaking long novel that really had no plot and isn't finished and never will be! You all get replicas of Gandalf's hat...and the reviewer who can tell me what actually happened to Gandalf's hat in the movie (all I know is it disapeared somewhere between Balin's tomb and the Bridge of Khazad-dum) gets Gandalf's real hat...  
  
I had something else to say here, but I forget what it is now...oh well.  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	29. Tree

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Sore feet suck.  
  
...  
  
Glorfindel: Er...aren't you going to do the disclaimer?  
  
CS: Sore feet suck.  
  
Glorfindel: ...Crimson Starlight owns nothing.  
  
CS: Especially not my feet. Because they're sore and they suck.  
  
Glorfindel: What is it with you and your feet?  
  
Rachel: She went shopping all day.  
  
Glorfindel: ...ah.  
  
-29: Tree-  
-Eh, I should probably put this in. WARNING: Rachel's mouth gets a l'il dirty in this chapter. And if it offends you, I suggest you stop reading, because it might get worse in some later chapters.-  
  
My plan to go to bed and be ready to help rid Boromir of his hangover tomorrow, however, got slightly delayed - mostly due to my own curiosity.  
  
I was almost at my room when, while passing a window, I heard someone singing something that sounded suspiciously like a funeral dirge. Curious as to who would be singing a depressing song when most of Rivendell seemed to have taken the occasion of Aragorn returning to get a little tipsy, I leaned out the window to see if I could spot the singer - or at least make out the words.  
  
I didn't spot the singer immediately, but the words definitely got clearer - and they were going on about the golden flower of Gondolin in a very mournful way. I frowned lightly, and then used my ears to guide my eyes to the location of the singer - somewhere in the tree next to the window. Peering in among the branches carefully, I could barely make out the shape of an Elf leaning against the trunk of the tree - furthermore, an elf with golden hair, and a flask of Dorwinnian wine.  
  
"A little depressing to be singing your own funeral dirge, dontcha think?" I said, and the singing stopped abruptly as Glorfindel's head whipped around.  
  
"It helps, sometimes." he said with a shrug.  
  
"With what?" I asked curiously.  
  
"The memories, the loneliness, the homesickness." Glorfindel replied, turning his gaze back to whatever he had been looking at before I intruded.  
  
"Sooo...singing your own funeral dirge helps with your depression?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"It reminds me of why I did what I did." Glorfindel replied, giving me a small smile.  
  
"Right." I said, letting my disbelief show through in my voice, and Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"Elvish 'funeral dirge's, as you call them, are more of a remembrance of the person who died than of how they died. They speak of what the person accomplished, how they lived their life, and only near the end do they mention their death." he explained. "Mine reminds me of all the good I did before my death, and what my death accomplished."  
  
"Lucky you." I said, suddenly feeling slightly miserable myself as I remembered how I came to Middle-Earth. "If anyone ever tried to write a song about my death, they'd be hard pressed to find more than a few verses worth. I did nothing important before coming here, and my death accomplished nothing."  
  
"Not true. Your death brought you here." Glorfindel said quietly.  
  
"And what has that accomplished?" I asked with a sigh. "I've run around Middle-Earth for the past 800 years after running away from my best friend who is probably going to severely maim me the next time she sees me because of HOW I ran away."  
  
"You had your reasons." Glorfindel said, sounding as if he did not believe in those reasons, and at that moment, in my strange, slightly depressed mood, I agreed with him.  
  
"Which I'm beginning to wonder if they were justified." I said.  
  
"Oh?" Glorfindel asked with interest.  
  
"Yeah. After all, Kari's been living happily with Elrohir for close to 800 years, and Middle-Earth isn't showing any signs of falling apart at the seams yet." I replied with a shrug. "It makes me wonder if perhaps I was wrong. That maybe you and Gandalf are right, and all these signs I take for me transforming into a Mary-Sue are just little pushes from the Valar to help Kari and I fit in."  
  
Glorfindel was silent for a moment, then held out the flask of wine and looked at me expectantly. I looked down to the ground, saw no one, and with a shrug, climbed out the window and onto the nearest branch of the tree. Going carefully, I made my way towards the trunk, then picked a thick branch close to where Glorfindel was sitting and sat down before taking the flask from him. I took a gulp, made a face, and handed it back.  
  
"I still don't get how wine can taste worse than ale, even with a whole crapload of alcohol in it." I said.  
  
"Its initial taste may be bad, but it does have a pleasant aftertaste." Glorfindel commented, taking a gulp of the wine himself. Moving my tongue around my mouth, I realized he was right - it had a very pleasant, fruity aftertaste.  
  
"Well that takes the cake. I thought aftertastes were always supposed to be worse than the original taste, not the other way around." I said.  
  
"Not always, obviously." Glorfindel said with a chuckle. A comfortable silence fell, during which Glorfindel took another sip of the wine before passing it over to me so I could have a sip, as well.  
  
"So, why are you out here?" I asked as I handed the flask back to Glorfindel.  
  
"I felt like singing." he replied.  
  
"You could have done that in the Hall of Fire." I pointed out.  
  
"Mm, but no ones been allowed to sing my lament since I returned." he said. "And Elrond gets concerned when he hears me singing it."  
  
"Elrond sounds like he gets concerned about you a lot." I commented. Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"That he does. Celebrían used to help him keep it in check." he said. I nodded.  
  
"It's a shame she had to go." I said sadly. "If there's one thing in all of Middle-Earth that I wish I could change or prevent, it would be what happened to her."  
  
"Why didn't you?" Glorfindel asked curiously.  
  
"Because it would have affected the timeline too much. The time between her leaving and now is too great - she could have done far too many things. Aragorn probably would have been raised differently and have become a different man if she was still around." I replied. I held out my hand for the flask of wine, and Glorfindel gave it to me. I took a sip and continued. "I'm surprised Kari didn't try to change it, though."  
  
"She did, I think." Glorfindel said thoughtfully. "She tried to discourage Celebrían from her constant travel between Lorien and Rivendell, but no one else thought that Celebrían was in any danger. And she would not have been if the group of Orcs had not been so large."  
  
"I suppose it served a purpose, at any rate. Elladan and Elrohir hate Orcs more than ever; Aragorn was raised without a mother..." I sighed, and took another sip of the flask of wine that I still held, holding back a grimace at the first taste of it, then handed the flask back to Glorfindel. "If only fate didn't love to cause such misery."  
  
"But on such miseries is greatness built." Glorfindel said.  
  
"Yeah, there can be no joy without pain and all that." I replied. Silence fell again.  
  
"So what brought you to be wandering along the corridors so early in the evening?" Glorfindel asked eventually, after taking another drink of the Dorwinnian wine.  
  
"A need for sleep so I can deal with a hungover Boromir tomorrow, and a need to get away from Elladan before he succeeded in getting me drunk." I replied dryly. "Though I may have just gone from one male trying to get me drunk to another succeeding in getting me drunk..." I added, eyeing the flask of Dorwinnian wine that Glorfindel still held suspiciously. Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"Completely by accident, I assure you. Want some more?" Glorfindel held the flask out to me with a playful grin. I took the flask and took a large gulp, mainly to keep myself from falling out of the tree due to Glorfindel's grin. Elf-lords should not be allowed to have playful grins. It is bad for females' health, especially when said females are sitting in trees.  
  
"I should probably be careful; otherwise I'm not going to be able to get out of this tree without falling." I remarked as I handed the flask back. Glorfindel took a deep drink himself before responding.  
  
"Then fall asleep in the tree." he said. "I've done it before."  
  
"Yes, but you don't wear skirts, unlike me. Anyone could come along and get a good look at most of my underside. Not that I particularly care, as long as my arse is covered, but whoever came along probably would." I said.  
  
"Actually, the first time I fell asleep in a tree, I WAS wearing a dress." Glorfindel said dryly. I coughed in surprise.  
  
"What?!" I asked, my mouth hanging slightly open.  
  
"It was Elrond's fault." Glorfindel said dismissively.  
  
"Elrond's fault?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Despite what he may want people to believe, Elladan and Elrohir did get their wilder sides from him." Glorfindel said. "Though, to be fair, Celebrían contributed her fair share."  
  
"It was Elrond's fault that you ended up asleep in a tree wearing a dress?" I asked, sticking to the topic that interested me. Glorfindel shot me an amused look.  
  
"His and Círdan's, yes. They were half drunk themselves when they decided that it would be amusing to convince me to wear a dress. I was more drunk than them, and thus, they succeeded." he said.  
  
"What I wouldn't give for pictures." I mumbled.  
  
"I think Elrond attempted to make a drawing of me asleep in the tree the next morning." Glorfindel commented. "But it was a little...wobbly. Elrond has always been better with words."  
  
"Which just goes to show that cameras should be one of the first technological wonders from my world invented in Middle-Earth!" I proclaimed.  
  
"Cameras?" Glorfindel asked curiously.  
  
"Fun little pieces of equipment that make instant, precise drawings of a scene." I replied, waving a hand about dismissively.  
  
"Sounds...convenient." Glorfindel said, and I nodded, snagging the flask of wine from him and taking another drink.  
  
"Sooo...was there any particular occasion for you wanting to come sit in a tree and sing your own lament while getting piss-arse drunk?" I asked as I handed the wine back to Glorfindel.  
  
"Not really." Glorfindel said with a shrug, taking a drink of wine for himself. "Except that the Ringwraiths brought up unhappy memories of the last time I was involved in a battle against a would-be Dark Lord."  
  
"Eh, don't worry, you won't be involved much in this battle. Sauron's for the newer generation to conquer. Well, if you don't count Gandalf. Or maybe even if you do. Was Gandalf hanging around when Morgoth was doing his thing?" I asked. Glorfindel shook his head.  
  
"No, he is only recently arrived." Glorfindel replied, and I nodded.  
  
"The newer generation entirely, then." I said, and then frowned thoughtfully. "Unless those guys in the Paths of the Dead are from around Morgoth's time..."  
  
"No, they are not. And now you had best stop talking on this subject before the drink helps you say things you should not." Glorfindel said, handing me the wine.  
  
"Says he as he hands me more alcohol." I said, taking another drink.  
  
"If you are busy drinking, you can not talk." Glorfindel pointed out as I handed the flask back.  
  
"Hmm, good point." I said as Glorfindel took another drink himself. We continued along those lines, taking drinks of the wine while talking about aimless things, for a short while, and then I decided that I had best get out of the tree while I still could.  
  
"Despite amusin' stories about nights you spent in a tree, I really would prefer not t'sleep here tonight." I said, pushing myself carefully to my feet, my words only slightly slurred from the drink.  
  
"Leaving so soon?" Glorfindel asked with a pout.  
  
"Well you can follow if y'wanna. I just don't wanna spend th'night in this tree. I'll end out sore and all sortsa crap." I replied, taking a few wobbly steps towards the window I'd come out of.  
  
"You know, perhaps I should go first. You seem a little unsteady." Glorfindel commented.  
  
"If you can get ahead of me without makin' me lose my balance, be my guest." I said. A few moments later, I found myself staring up at Glorfindel where he stood in front of me on the branch. "How'd you do that?" I asked, peering behind me curiously.  
  
"Practice." Glorfindel said with a smirk, and then pranced backwards a few steps along the branch, not even looking where he was going. I gaped at him.  
  
"Ok, I KNOW you're AT LEAST half drunk. How the hell are you doing that?" I asked.  
  
"As I said, practice." Glorfindel said, his smirk growing, and then he held out a hand to me. "Now, do you want to get out of this tree or not?" Without hesitation, I grabbed his hand and used it as a steady support while I made my way along the branch. Even with the alcohol in my system, I knew that Glorfindel was remarkably steady for one so drunk. I made a mental note to tell Elladan and Elrohir that Glorfindel's balance also went up when drunk. Then promptly forgot that mental note five seconds later. Ah yes, the wonders of alcohol.  
  
When Glorfindel and I finally got near to the window, we discovered there was a downside to him going first - with the added weight, the branch bent more, and there was now a good jump up to the window. Furthermore, Glorfindel couldn't really just jump while leaving me on the tree branch because the branch would bounce up and down in reaction to his jump, and I wouldn't be able to keep my balance when it did.  
  
"Maybe we should have just climbed down instead of headin' back for th'window." I said, eyeing the ground some fifteen feet below.  
  
"Probably." Glorfindel said. "Or, I can climb up the wall to the window instead of jumping."  
  
"You can do that?" I asked incredulously. Glorfindel shrugged.  
  
"I have done it before." he said.  
  
"Well, go to it, then." I said, and that is just what Glorfindel did. After almost falling about half a dozen times and scaring the shit out of me three other times. That was when we discovered the other problem - I hadn't noticed when I'd climbed out the window, but there was a jump DOWN to the tree branch, which meant there was now a jump UP to the window, and we both agreed that any jump I attempted to make would be disastrous.  
  
"Right, back to the trunk and climbing down, then." I said. I half turned, but wobbled and almost lost my footing before I could move very far. "Or not." I said as I wind milled my arms to keep myself steady.  
  
"Give me your hands, I'll pull you up." Glorfindel said, reaching down. I steadied myself, and then reached up, but I could barely reach his fingertips.  
  
"Damn my shortness." I muttered. Glorfindel chuckled, shifted a little, and then stretched his hands down a little farther.  
  
"Try that." he said, and I reached up again. To my amazement, I was able to grab onto his hands this time. Once my grip was secure, Glorfindel gave a pull, and I pushed off the tree branch, moving my feet to the wall so I was basically walking up it.  
  
"I am so amazed that this is working." I commented as I got close enough to the window that I could let go of Glorfindel's hands and latch onto the window sill myself. From there, it was only a few quick maneuvers before I pulled myself in through the window - and promptly tripped over my own dress and fell flat on my face.  
  
"Goddammit." I muttered, pushing myself up. "I officially HATE skirts, dresses, and anything related to 'em." I heard Glorfindel laugh, and I turned and gave him a scowl. Or tried to. The turn was far too much for my compromised sense of balance to handle, and I went down again - this time on my butt. I sat there and blinked for a moment, surprised to find myself on the floor again. Eventually, Glorfindel's stifled laughter brought me out of my surprise, and I glared up at him.  
  
"This is all your fault, y'know." I said darkly.  
  
"Mine?" Glorfindel asked innocently, hiding the flask of Dorwinnian wine - which he'd managed to keep, somehow - behind his back.  
  
"Yes, yours and the wine's." I replied, nodding emphatically. "Whoa, did y'know nodding can make you dizzy?" Glorfindel's stifled laughter was back. I glared up at him again. "All right, funny boy. You got me into this, help me get up and get to my room."  
  
"Of course, my lady." Glorfindel said with a mock bow, and then held out a hand to me to help me up.  
  
"I'm amazed you managed a bow without tippin' over." I commented as I grabbed Glorfindel's hand and let myself be pulled to my feet.  
  
"Ah, some of us hold our alcohol better than others." Glorfindel said with a mischievous grin. "Now, shall we see if you can walk?"  
  
"I can walk." I stated determinedly, and took several steps forward to prove it.  
  
"I'm impressed." Glorfindel commented. "You managed to go in a circle in three steps." I gave Glorfindel a withering glance.  
  
"I said I could walk. I did. I just need a li'l help with the navigation end of things." I said. "Which is where you come in."  
  
"Ah." was Glorfindel's reply. Then, with a satisfied nod, I latched onto his arm.  
  
"Right, lead the way, then." I said.  
  
"To where?" Glorfindel asked, a mischievous gleam entering his eyes.  
  
"My rooms, dumbass." I retorted grumpily. "Where you will then LEAVE ME before going off where ever you might want to go."  
  
"As the lady commands." Glorfindel said with another mock bow, and so we set off.  
  
----To be continued...with Rachel's room!----  
(And Glorfindel abuse!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Whee, this is fun...  
  
Now I have a few MORE questions from reviewers that need answering. First off! Rachel is not going with the Fellowship! I've already done one tenth member fic, and man was that a bugger to keep everything straight. And I followed the movies in that one. Besides, with rachel's sense of Mary-Sueness, do you really think she'd go along with the Fellowship, even if they tied her up in a sack and carried her?  
  
As for Kari in Lothlorien. I'm not sure its going to be explained, so I'll say it here. Y'know how Rachel situated herself in Minas Tirith so she could see the Fellowship? Kari did the same, only in Lothlorien. Why not stay in Rivendell? Because my plot wants her in Lothlorien, and she wants to help the Fellowship deal with Gandalf's death and probably give Boromir a few solid whacks.  
  
As for my question from last chapter...well, The Noble Platypus kinda stolen Gandalf's hat when he dropped it in Balin's Tomb, so not only do I now know where it got to, but I don't have to give it away. O.o Allyrien Chantel de Montreve gets Gandalf's back-up hat, though, for the very amusing alternate reason for Gandalf's hat's disapearance. (hey, he has back-up staffs, why not back-up hats?) There were numerous other reviewers that gave the answer of 'he dropped it in Balins tomb', so I shall have to...uh...give you all copies of Glamdring (or however you spell his swords name) or his staff, depending on which you want. And man did that sound dirty. (early morning=dirty minded CS)  
  
Yeah, um, thank-you to all my reviewers. If you all review again, and recruit more reviewers, you get some of the christmas cookies I'm going to bake tomorrow...now I'm off to make supper and listen to my uncle ramble on about electronic circuits. O.o He's great, really...he just talks a lot.  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	30. Inebriation

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: *singing* Tolkien got run over by a reindeer, on the night of Christmas Eve! But that doesn't mean that I own all of his stuffffff! Because that would be illegal in the extreme...  
  
Rachel: If you've heard the base song, you'll get the joke. If not - go search for 'Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer', and when you find it, you shall get the joke.  
  
CS: Having your alarm clock wake you up with that is the absolute best way to wake up for school, by the way.  
  
Rachel: I'm sure.  
  
CS: It is! Wake up with a laugh, and all that...even if you just went to sleep 3 hours before.  
  
Rachel: How about if you just don't wake up at all?  
  
CS: Then you'd be dead. Or brain dead. Or in a coma. None are good.  
  
Rachel: The first one is if you're turning into a Mary-Sue!  
  
Glorfindel: No, it's not. Remember the story?  
  
Rachel: ...Oh, hm. Guess you're right.  
  
CS: 'Course I am. I'm the awthor. I'm always right.  
  
Glorfindel: Then why did you put a 'w' in 'author'?  
  
CS: ...shut up.  
  
-30: Inebriation-  
  
Along the way to my room, Glorfindel and I stopped to have a few more drinks of the wine, and thus, by the time we got to my rooms, Glorfindel's previous ability to walk in a straight line had morphed into an ability to walk a curvy line going in the same general direction, and his support was the only thing keeping me on my feet.  
  
"Damn, that is strong *hic* stuff. Agh, I hate *hic* hiccups." I muttered as we finally stumbled to a stop in front of my door. After several attempts, I managed to open the door, and then Glorfindel and I staggered in. In celebration for reaching my room, Glorfindel pulled out the flask of wine, and we finished it off.  
  
"Right, now I'm *hic* going t'bed." I said. When, after a few moments, I didn't move, Glorfindel arched an eyebrow at me in a way only a drunk Elf-lord can.  
  
"Then why aren't you moving?" he asked.  
  
"Duh, I can't *hic* go anywhere without trippin over m'own *hic* two feet unless you *hic* help me." I replied, rolling my eyes.  
  
"So y'want me to help you get to your bed?" Glorfindel asked, and I nodded. Inside of me, some small voice started screaming that this was a really bad idea. It quickly drowned in Dorwinnian wine, and Glorfindel and I staggered over to my bedroom door. I was, once again, the one to open the door, and then Glorfindel and I stumbled in.  
  
"Ooo, bed." Glorfindel said, his eyes lighting up as they settled on the big four-poster bed in the room.  
  
"Mine." I said possessively. "You go get yer *hic* own." Glorfindel pouted slightly. I gave him as warning a look as I could in my state, then pushed off from him and made a dive for my bed. To my credit, I almost made it.  
  
"Shame to waste a nice bed on just your arms." Glorfindel commented as he staggered over. I gave him a glare, then started hauling myself up. Before I could get far, however, I was abruptly picked up and dumped on the bed.  
  
"Quicker and easier." Glorfindel said with a shrug as I glared at him again. "But tiring..." he added as he weaved back and forth a bit.  
  
"Don't you *hic* dare fall on m'bed." I said warningly. "Go find your *hic* own."  
  
"Too late." Glorfindel said, and promptly fell over onto the foot of my bed. There was a moment of silence. "How about I just stay here?" Glorfindel suggested. "It's comfy."  
  
"No." I said, and shot out a foot and gave Glorfindel a solid kick in the arm.  
  
"Ow." Glorfindel whined, rubbing his arm.  
  
"Still comfy?" I asked.  
  
"Yep." was Glorfindel's reply. I made to kick him again, but found I didn't have enough energy to do more than move my foot a few inches.  
  
"Don't make me beat you." I grumbled instead.  
  
"You can't beat me when you're sober, let alone drunk." Glorfindel said with a snort.  
  
"Agh, just go, willya?!" I exclaimed in exasperation.  
  
"Why? I like it here. It's comfy. Company could be improved, though." This time I summoned enough energy to kick Glorfindel. "Ow..."  
  
"Get out." I said.  
  
"Give me a reason and I will." Glorfindel replied.  
  
"I'm tired an' want t'sleep." I said.  
  
"So go to sleep. I'm not stopping you." Glorfindel said. I sighed in exasperation.  
  
"Stupid sexy Elf-lords." I growled, and then blinked as I realized what I'd just said. Glorfindel looked up at me from the base of the bed in amusement.  
  
"What was that?" he asked. I then proceeded to give Glorfindel a very graphic description of what he should go do to Elrond. To my annoyance, he didn't move a muscle during my entire tirade.  
  
"Well, that was creative." Glorfindel said with a yawn when I was done. I gaped at him for a moment, and then kicked him hard. "OW!" he whined. "That wasn't very nice!"  
  
"Wuzn' meant t'be." I replied promptly. "Wuz supposed t'get you t'leave."  
  
"Apparently it didn't work." Glorfindel observed. I kicked him again. "Ow!" he whined again. "Stop doing that!"  
  
"Not 'til y'leave." I replied, and aimed another kick at Glorfindel. He was ready, however, and managed to grab my foot. "Hey! Let m'foot go!" I whined.  
  
"Not unless you stop kicking me." Glorfindel replied cheerfully. I paused for a moment, thinking. After a few moments, I came up with a solution to my problem - kick him with my OTHER foot. Which I did, causing him to let go of my other foot.  
  
"What do I have to do t'get you to stop kicking me?" Glorfindel asked with a slight pout.  
  
"Leave!" I answered as cheerfully as Glorfindel had a moment before, making to kick Glorfindel again. He caught my foot again, however, this time in one hand, and when I tried to kick him with the other foot, he caught it in his other hand, as well.  
  
"But I like it here! Nice'n soft!" Glorfindel protested. I growled, then, remarkably, managed to hoist myself into a sitting position. Bending myself practically double, I started prying at Glorfindel's hands, trying to get them off my feet, without much luck.  
  
"Let go an' get out!" I growled after a moment, stopping my attempts. Glorfindel pretended to consider this for a few moments.  
  
"Nope, too comfy." he replied finally. I crossed my arms and sat there glaring at Glorfindel for a moment, then recalled how I'd tried to wake Aragorn up. Before Glorfindel knew what was happening, my hand darted out and tickled his side. To my immense satisfaction, he yelped in surprise, jerking away from my fingers. He did not, however, let go of my feet.  
  
"Let go an' get out." I repeated.  
  
"No." came Glorfindel's reply.  
  
I tickled him again, and he jerked away once more.  
  
"Let go an' get out."  
  
"Too comfy!"  
  
Another tickle, another jerk.  
  
"Let go an' get out!"  
  
"Nope..."  
  
As I tickled Glorfindel again and he predictably jerked away, something in the back of my mind told me that this had moved beyond Glorfindel finding my bed comfy to something else entirely, but the wine was blurring exactly what that something else was. So, I repeated my ultimatum.  
  
"Let go an' get out." This time, Glorfindel sighed in reply.  
  
"You always have to make things difficult." he said, and while I was preparing to righteously protest, he suddenly let go of my feet, grabbed my wrists, and had me pinned. Well, more like he had a hold of my wrists, and the weight of the rest of him lying on top of me was holding any other body part I might use to assault him down. My protests died in my throat as I stared at him in surprise.  
  
"Get off." I said when I recovered from my surprise, but without much oomph. My ability to protest had been severely limited at this point by both the wine and the close proximity of a very VERY sexy Elf-lord, and I think Glorfindel sensed it, because he simply smiled slightly and let his head drop, half onto the pillow and half onto my shoulder, like he was going to go to sleep.  
  
"Too comfortable." came the muffled reply. For some reason, that sparked annoyance in me - probably because while it was comfortable for him, it wasn't so much for me (more like slow torture). My annoyance then went on to fan my protests back into full strength.  
  
"GET. OFF!" I exclaimed, trying to throw Glorfindel off me in some manner of another. Even when half drunk, however, he knew how to pin someone down - me being more drunk than him helped, of course. My wriggling and squirming accomplished nothing.  
  
OK, to be fair to myself, it did accomplish something. Just not what I wanted. Actually, if I'd stopped and thought for a moment, I probably would have realized that my wriggling and squirming would accomplish what it did. But alcohol tends to impair thought. So I was greatly surprised when, after several minutes of me wriggling, Glorfindel's head slowly rose from it's place on my shoulder, and the look on his face was NOT amused, annoyed, or even the least bit drunk.  
  
"That is NOT the way to get me out." he said, his voice low and husky, as we locked gazes. His eyes burned into mine, and I gulped as I felt all the alcohol flee my brain, leaving me completely sober and able to realize just what was going on. After a moment, I opened my mouth to reply, but found it was too dry to say anything. Practical, stupid me then proceeded to send orders to my tongue to lick my lips. Did I mention that Glorfindel's face was a scant inch or so from mine?  
  
Before I could really understand what was happening, Glorfindel's lips were on mine, and even once I did understand what was happening, my first response was to open my mouth to his teasing tongue and let it inside. The kiss deepened even further, and I heard myself groan slightly, something that felt quite like fire, only far more pleasant, shooting through my body. Thoroughly distracted by this new sensation, and Glorfindel's lips on mine, I barely noticed when my wrists were freed, and noticed even less that all I did with my arms newfound mobility was snake them around Glorfindel's neck.  
  
In fact, I didn't notice much of anything besides Glorfindel and me until the rational part of my mind piped up and reminded me of this little thing called a Mary-Sue, and my self-sworn oath to stay away from book-recognizable males. Then my eyes, which I hadn't even noticed had closed, snapped open, and I instantly froze. Before I think it really registered with Glorfindel that I had stopped reacting, I pulled my arms away from his neck, brought my hands to his chest, and gave a solid shove. And just as it started registering with Glorfindel what was happening, I jumped up with a curse, and then stormed out of the room. I heard Glorfindel make to follow, calling after me in confusion, but I shut the bedroom door and shoved a chair under the door knob like they did in movies, effectively slowing Glorfindel down long enough for me to get out of sight.  
  
There really was not, in my mind, any question of what I was going to do next. I did have enough presence of mind, however, to not want to repeat the same mistake I'd made with Kari, and I went straight to Boromir's room, reaching the door before I remembered he was unconscious from drink. With an annoyed growl, I decided to forgo telling him - it wasn't as if I was leaving the same way as before - and turned on my heal and dashed straight to the stables, completely forgoing the kitchen for provisions. I'm pretty sure I ran by a number of Elves in the hallways as I went, but I ignored them as long as they weren't a certain golden-haired Elf-lord and didn't get in my way.  
  
I screeched to a halt in front of the stables, sending up a cloud of dust, and then dashed inside before the stable hand on duty had time to react. I had barely entered, however, when I realized that Glorfindel would probably try and follow me, and there was no way I could outrun him on Black Thunder. So I turned on my heel and headed back out of the stable, passing a still very confused stable hand on my way to the pasture.  
  
Glancing among the horses that were, for a miracle, clustered near the fence for the night, I realized there was only one that I had a hope of getting to let me ride him.  
  
"Asfaloth!" I called sweetly, and Glorfindel's horse trotted over. I looked around, and found a gate not to far away. I quickly went to it and opened it, Asfaloth following me with curiosity. He looked at me slightly strangely when I motioned for him to come out, but complied.  
  
"Hey boy, I need you to do me a favour." I crooned to the horse as I shut the gate and came over to his head, stroking his nose softly. "I need you to let me ride you. Just as far as Bree, then you can come home. How about it?" Asfaloth snorted in what I assumed was assent, and, using the nearby fence to give me an extra boost in height, I got up on Asfaloth's back. I smiled, then, and I'm sure if anybody had seen it they would have referred to it as a very unpleasant smile. There was nobody around to see, however, and I didn't wait around for someone to arrive, kicking Asfaloth into a brisk trot, then a gallop, blasting by the guards of Rivendell proper and the border guards without even noticing them.  
  
As I left, I absently noticed the irony of what I was doing. For the second time, I was leaving the Last Homely House in the dead of night on an Elvish horse with the sole intent of getting away from any and all that the peaceful Elven realm contained - the exact opposite of what just about anybody else would be doing in my place.  
  
----To be continued...with Elrond!----  
(And Shadowfax!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
I saw the Extended Edition DVD of 'The Two Towers'. They put the Huorns in! Whee! Yes. My visiting uncle that I mentioned last chapter is now my most favouritestest uncle ever, since it was his laptop (and its DVD drive) that let me watch the extended edition. *hopskip* Boromir! Faramir looks like a girl. No, seriously - not in the way he dresses or acts or anything, but his facial shape, especially his eyes, combined with that long hair, make him look so female Legolas looks masculine in comparison. Not making me drop my nickname for Legolas of 'Nancy', though...(ask me some day if you want to know the reasoning for that one)  
  
Only bad thing about the DVD is, though, that I got so caught up in watching it, that in the last 36 hours, I've had exactly 3 1/2 hours of sleep. *twitch* Thank god for Pepsi.  
  
Anywho, thank-you to all my lovely reviewers. Just to let y'all know, the vote on Boromir is currently...9 to 9. I think I may just have to decide this myself...and considering how drooly I am at the moment over the Faramir-flashback-Boromir from Osgiliath (does anyone beside me find his accent irresistable? It's basically the same one he has as Sharpe, and makes me turn teeny for some reason) Boromir is likely to live. Though, for the sake of the plot, and to help the ending, I might just kill him...ah well, we'll see.  
  
Yeah, um, all my reviewers get cookie dough. Why not cookies like I promised? Because, with my uncle and the DVD watch-age, I only had time to make the dough. The cookies come when I have a break from gift wrapping, school, and being a Santa's Elf. (I should wear my Elf ears that I got for Hallowe'en one year! Hee hee...)  
  
Right, well, this author's note is getting long. Thank you reviewers, please review again. Thank you readers for reading even if you haven't reviewed - your reviews would most deffinately be appreciated. They help me feel special and give me something to point to when my mother asks me why I'm writing this 'crap'. *rolls eyes* Parents. Ah well, it's better than her ragging on me about other things...  
  
I'm off to get lost on the bus system, enjoy the chapter!  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	31. Reasons

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own nothing! Not even the purple monkey invaders from pluto!  
  
Glorfindel: What are you talking about?  
  
CS: The purple monkey invaders from pluto.  
  
Glorfindel: I knew THAT.  
  
CS: Well why'd you ask, then?  
  
Glorfindel: I anted to know why you were mentioning them when they're not even in the chapter.  
  
CS: Because I want to.  
  
Glorfindel: ...  
  
CS: I'm in a good mood, don't make me get out of it. It's not too late to write in a scene where Rachels cans you. :P  
  
Glorfindel: Meep!  
  
Rachel: *evil grin*  
  
-31: Reasons-  
-A/N: Right, I'm just not going to bother to put language warnings on chapters...this story is PG-13, and I have a warning that the rating is for language, so y'all should get the picture.-  
  
Elrond was sleeping quite peacefully in his bed, having retired from the Hall of Fire only an hour or so before, when he was woken rudely by the sound of a horse galloping into Rivendell. Or at least, he thought it was into Rivendell until he woke up properly. Then he realized that the horse was galloping OUT of Rivendell. Concerned, he stood and threw on a dressing robe, then quickly strode out of his rooms and headed for the courtyard.  
  
He was still a far ways away from the exit to the courtyard, however, when he heard an Elf yelling very angrily - and loudly - in Quenya. Elrond picked up his pace, and was soon able to hear the other voice in the conversation - the low, even voice of Gandalf the Grey, also speaking in Quenya. Try as he might, however, he could not understand a word that Gandalf and his unknown arguing partner were saying, though Elrond himself spoke Quenya fluently. He picked up his pace yet more, and soon rounded a corner and found the exit before him, along with the owners of the two voices.  
  
"Glorfindel, Mithrandir! What is going on?" Elrond demanded, making sure to use Sindarin to be noticed amongst the Quenya argument. He was very surprised that he hadn't recognized Glorfindel's voice, he usually had an ear for such things, but he supposed he could be excused, since he had rarely heard Glorfindel speaking Quenya, and NEVER heard him shouting angrily in any language.  
  
"It seems Rachel has left again." Gandalf said calmly.  
  
"Has she?" Elrond asked in surprise, arching an eyebrow. Gandalf was left to nod in confirmation, as Glorfindel simply crossed his arms and glared at the Maia, completely ignoring Elrond.  
  
"As suddenly an unexpectedly as last time, as well. Also, she took Asfaloth." Gandalf said the last part with slight amusement, glancing at Glorfindel.  
  
"Of course. Even the slowest Elvish horse could catch her mare with little trouble." Elrond said smoothly. "Why is she running this time?" Silence greeted Elrond's question as Gandalf looked expectantly at Glorfindel, and Glorfindel glowered back. Elrond sighed. "I suppose, like last time, we shall not get the answer to that question until after she has returned. Shall we go catch her, then?"  
  
"Can't." Glorfindel grunted, tearing his gaze away from Gandalf long enough to shoot a wry look at Elrond. "Asfaloth is the fastest horse here." Gandalf smiled as if he knew otherwise, but agreed with Glorfindel all the same.  
  
"Indeed. So it would be best to just let her go for now. Once she thinks we are not following her, she will slow down, and it will be easier to catch up with her." he said. "Besides, you, Lord Glorfindel, are mostly drunk."  
  
"Dorwinnian wine tends to do that." Glorfindel said with a snort.  
  
"Dorwinnian wine? Where did you get Dorwinnian wine?" Elrond asked in surprise.  
  
"Stole it from your sons." Glorfindel replied flatly. Elrond gave an aggravated sigh, making a mental note to talk to the twins later.  
  
"Wherever you got it, it does not change the fact that you have consumed a relatively large quantity of it and therefore need to sleep, not chase after someone who took your horse." Gandalf said sternly.  
  
"Bloody hell, she can have Asfaloth for all I care! I want to go after her because she is more drunk than I, and I happen to know she did not take any provisions with her." Glorfindel practically snarled. Gandalf's eyes widened slightly.  
  
"Is that so." he said, his shock evident in his voice. He obviously hadn't expected those two little tidbits of news.  
  
"Would I say so if it was not?" Glorfindel snapped.  
  
"Of course not. He was not implying so." Elrond intervened. "This does change some things, but not the fact that you are drunk and should not go chasing after Rachel. Gandalf and I can handle this."  
  
"I doubt it." Glorfindel said crisply. "I can see I am not going to convince you otherwise, however." And with that, Glorfindel turned and strode off, the effect only ruined slightly by the slightly curved path he took through the straight hallway.  
  
"Where do you think she will head?" Elrond asked, turning to Gandalf.  
  
"Bree." Gandalf said without hesitation, already turning to the door. Elrond followed as the old wizard strode out purposefully, then stopped at the base of the steps and let out a high-pitched whistle.  
  
"I will try and bring her back as quickly as possible, but she might refuse to come. The council may have to be delayed." Gandalf said, glancing at Elrond, who nodded. Then Gandalf's newly-found friend and mount, Shadowfax, came swiftly into the courtyard, and Gandalf mounted neatly and easily. He simply nodded to Elrond, then urged Shadowfax into a gallop, and horse and rider were gone before Elrond could think to wave. With a sigh, Elrond turned back to the house, hoping to get some more sleep before dealing with the headache this little fiasco was bound to cause.  
  
Of course, when Elrond finally returned to his room and was preparing to get back in bed, there came the sound of a third horse galloping out of Rivendell. Elrond sighed, put his dressing robe back on, and went back to the courtyard. There, he quickly found the stablemaster, who sheepishly explained that Lord Glorfindel had just ridden out on Elrond's own horse. Elrond looked at the Elf for a moment, then threw his hands up and went to bed. He would send Elladan and Elrohir out after the three errant travelers tomorrow - with food. A little hunger might knock some sense into Glorfindel and Rachel. As for Gandalf - well, unreasonable as it was, Elrond would just consider it payback for all the trouble he just KNEW that old wizard was going to, or was currently, or had in the past, caused him.  
  
---  
  
Gandalf sighed as he sped along on Shadowfax, heading along the road to Bree. He really should have known this would happen. He knew that Rachel had not yet resolved her fear of 'Mary-Sues', and it was only a matter of time until something or other set her off. Though judging from the fact that what seemed to have set her off was the results of an evening involving her, Lord Glorfindel, and a flask of Dorwinnian wine, it seemed that what had set her off was probably the most obvious thing possible it relation to Rachel's 'Mary-Sues'. After all, it had already become quite obvious to anyone who cared to look that Lord Glorfindel liked the maiden as more than just a friend. Adding drink to that had probably just brought the previously hidden feelings to the forefront.  
  
In any case, it created the opportunity Gandalf had been looking for. He had meant to have another chat with Rachel sometime in the past two days, elaborating on his last statements in their last conversation, but the opportunity had not come up. Rachel had always been with one friend or another, and Gandalf had been swept up in the business concerning Frodo and the Ring. Now, however, he would finally get to that chat. The question was, how was he going to word that chat so that Rachel didn't end out attacking him?  
  
Gandalf mused over that until Asfaloth finally came into view, running at a full gallop with a dark shape on his back that Gandalf assumed to be Rachel. Then he directed Shadowfax to move up alongside the Elvish horse and match his speed. That accomplished, Gandalf left Shadowfax to his running and turned his attention to Rachel, who didn't even seem to notice he was there.  
  
"Rachel!" Gandalf called, having to yell to be heard over the wind. Rachel glanced over at Gandalf, a slightly surprised look on her face. Then she turned her surprise into an acid glare and returned her attention to where she was going.  
  
"Rachel, stop this! You have no provisions, and you are not completely sober. Now is not the time to gallop off to Bree!" Gandalf yelled. Rachel ignored him. Gandalf sighed, then turned his attention to Asfaloth and ordered the horse to stop. Lord Glorfindel's horse was well trained, and responded to voice commands, but he also knew who was on his back, and who wasn't, and which one had told him to stop. His speed dropped only slightly.  
  
"Rachel, stop being foolish!" Gandalf tried again, and was once more ignored. With a sigh, Gandalf urged Shadowfax to go faster, and they soon passed Asfaloth. Then they pulled around in front, and Gandalf gathered his power to him, causing him, and consequently Shadowfax, to become quite impressive looking. Asfaloth, quite reasonably, stopped short, sending dirt flying. Rachel, also quite reasonably, lost her grip on Asfaloth and went flying over the horse's head, only to be caught by Gandalf.  
  
"So nice of you to drop by." Gandalf couldn't help quipping. Rachel shot him a death glare, and then slid off of Shadowfax to the ground. There, she wobbled for a few moments before walking in an obviously curvy path to a nearby tree. She sat down, and alternated glaring between Gandalf and Asfaloth.  
  
"You are over eight centuries old, stop acting like a child!" Gandalf said with another sigh, dismounting from Shadowfax and walking over to where Rachel sat.  
  
"I am not acting like a child." Rachel snapped.  
  
"Fine then, stop acting like a drunken fool." Gandalf countered.  
  
"I'm not drunk, and I'm much less of a fool than some." Rachel snarled.  
  
"Then start acting like it." Gandalf replied. Rachel glared up at him.  
  
"You are bloody annoying, you know that?" she asked. "You can't just let me go in peace - noooooo, you have to come after me with your superfast horse, use you fancy-dancy magic to make Asfaloth stop abruptly, almost causing me some serious injury, all the while calling me a fool. Why won't you just let me be?"  
  
"Because I told Manwë I would do all I could to help you." Gandalf replied shortly. Rachel snorted.  
  
"Oh, we're back to that little story?" she asked. "Let me tell you, Gandalf, I have no idea how I - or Kari - got here, but I know it was NOT due to some god deciding 'Oh, hey, let's transport these two random girls to another universe and let them destroy it by becoming Mary-Sues!'."  
  
"Quite right." Gandalf replied, and Rachel blinked in surprise. "Manwë and the other Valar simply wanted to put your and Kari's souls in their proper world." Rachel rolled her eyes.  
  
"That's the Mary-Sue talking." she said. Gandalf sighed.  
  
"You really do not have any faith, do you?" he asked.  
  
"Faith? What the purple monkey does religion have to do with this?" Rachel asked in annoyance.  
  
"Faith, not religion." Gandalf corrected.  
  
"Same difference." Rachel said dismissively. Gandalf paused, and then decided to take that statement as it was meant to be taken - a dismissal of what he'd just said as incorrect.  
  
"No it is not. While religion is based on faith, you CAN have faith without religion." he scolded. "You can have faith that the bridge you are crossing will not break, and you can have faith that your leaders will not lead you to destruction, and neither times are you required to have a religion in order to believe that those two things will not happen."  
  
"Great. Now I have Gandalf preaching to me." Rachel muttered.  
  
"And for good reason!" Gandalf snapped, losing his patience somewhat. "Your lack of faith in yourself and others has caused hurt to your friends, and will continue to do so. You must stop your fearful running and find the faith to believe that the universe will unfold as it will! Just because you find happiness does not mean that the world will end tomorrow!" Rachel shot Gandalf an acid look.  
  
"I am not running fearfully from anything." she said coolly. "And I DO have faith that the universe will unfold as it will. I just don't trust that will." Gandalf sighed, preparing to continue arguing, when the sound of another horse approaching at a gallop met his ears. His head snapped in the direction of Rivendell and he frowned, wondering who on Arda was coming now.  
  
"Friend of yours?" Rachel asked caustically, apparently having already heard the horse.  
  
"Not that I know of." Gandalf replied, his frown deepening.  
  
"Probably Glory then." Rachel muttered.  
  
"I sent him to bed. Which is where you should be." Gandalf said, shooting Rachel and stern look.  
  
"I was in bed." Rachel snarled in response. Gandalf had to stop his eyebrows from shooting up at that, and bit his tongue on the comment that wanted to escape, even as the approaching horse came into view. Rachel squinted and peered at the rider, then cursed.  
  
"Sent him to bed, eh?" She said scathingly to Gandalf, rising quickly to her feet. Then she dodged past the Maia and headed for Asfaloth. Only to find that both Asfaloth and Shadowfax were gone. She cursed again, sending another glare in Gandalf's direction. Moments later, Glorfindel brought Elrond's horse to a halt not far beyond them. A tense silence fell as Glorfindel dismounted, and Gandalf moved back, sensing that it would be wise not to get in-between the Elf-lord and Rachel at this time.  
  
Instead, Gandalf simply watched as Glorfindel stalked over to where Rachel now stood, her arms crossed and a defiant look on her face. Glorfindel stopped no more than a foot from Rachel, causing her to look up slightly even as he had to look down. For several minutes, they did nothing more than glare at each other. Then, Glorfindel broke the silence.  
  
"Do you always run from your confusion?" he demanded.  
  
"Confusion?" Rachel asked, arching an eyebrow. "That's a new name for the Mary-Sue Factor."  
  
"The 'Mary-Sue Factor' does not exist!" Glorfindel snarled in response. "You know this, I know you do! You just use it as an excuse to run from anything you can not figure out - anything that is too coincidental, too convenient, or too easy for you to believe in it being reality. And if you can not find an explanation for why it seems too coincidental, convenient or easy to be real, then it must be wrong." Rachel opened her mouth to say something, looking indignant, but Glorfindel cut her off before she could get a sound out. "Kari told me something about your world while you were gone. To help her deal with her grief at your 'death'. She told me how your world's 'scientists' have explained away all the miracles, and how even what magic you have is explained as naught but trickery. She also told me how your world had many religions, and how many people used their religion to replace the hole that had been caused by the sudden disappearance of magic and miracles. And she also told me how you believed in none of these religions, and that you believed all things could be explained through science. I did not truly understand what that meant until tonight."  
  
"And what does it mean, oh wise one?" Rachel asked icily.  
  
"It means you have no faith in anything you cannot explain, and possibly not even that." Glorfindel replied flatly. There was a pause, and then Rachel started laughing. Glorfindel stood stock still, a confused look on his face, as Rachel continued to laugh. Eventually, she had to sit down from laughing so hard, and Glorfindel began to get annoyed.  
  
"Now do you believe me?" Gandalf asked Rachel pointedly, deciding to step in. Glorfindel started, apparently having missed Gandalf's presence, and then gave the wizard a curious look.  
  
"I believe that you and Glorfindel either think far too much alike or that you talked about this ahead of time, yes." Rachel said eventually, sounding very amusing. Gandalf sighed. He was beginning to think he would just have to take Rachel to Valinor and have Manwë talk with her before she believed that there was no such thing at the Mary-Sue Factor and that she truly belonged here.  
  
"What would it take for you to have faith?" Gandalf asked. "An assurance from one of the Valar that the world is not going to end if you let yourself become what you deem a 'Mary-Sue'?"  
  
"I have faith." Rachel said dismissively, then added, "I have faith that as soon as I come anywhere near Elves, I will start turning into a Mary-Sue." Gandalf shook his head slightly.   
  
"Lord Glorfindel is correct, Rachel." he said. "This 'Mary-Sue' of yours is nothing but your imagination. If this is naught but a story, then how are you able to run away? How are you able to refuse all this? You told me once that 'Mary-Sues' were essentially stories, and that they were perfect creatures. You, my dear Rachel, are not perfect, and from what I have heard, were not perfect even when you first arrived here. You flouted propriety and showed little respect to anyone who had not earned it in your eyes. And you have done little worthy of being in a story ever since you arrived here." Rachel snorted.  
  
"Hey, anything can be a story for the writers of Mary-Sues. A conversation about what someone had for breakfast can be a story for a Mary-Sue. As for me not being perfect, there is also the lesser Mary-Sue that ignores all rules and does what they want - perfectly, of course." Rachel said.  
  
"So how was I able to defeat you?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"Pardon?" Rachel asked, slight confusion showing on her face.  
  
"When I came to tell Elladan his father needed him. How was it that I was able to defeat you so quickly and easily?" Glorfindel elaborated. Rachel blinked, and Gandalf smiled, suddenly glad that Glorfindel had decided to come. It was, however, somewhat amazing that both Rachel and Glorfindel were carrying on a coherent conversation after jointly consuming an entire flask of Dorwinnian wine. As Rachel remained silent, her face showing the signs of hard thinking, Glorfindel began to smirk. Then he said probably the worst thing he could have.  
  
"Mary-Sues are fictional creations of writers from your world." he said. "They do not exist." That brought Rachel's head up like a shot.  
  
"Then you don't exist, either." she snapped. "You are all just fictional creations of a writer in my world, as well."  
  
"Perhaps Lord Glorfindel meant that Mary-Sues do not exist HERE?" Gandalf put in.  
  
"Perhaps, but there's no way to tell whether or not they exist, is there?" Rachel replied, far to innocently. "And since they're so dangerous, wouldn't it be best to err on the side of caution and assume that Mary-Sues do exist?" Gandalf sighed, and opened his mouth to say reply, but Glorfindel beat him to it.  
  
"Caution can be good, at times, but there are other times when you must believe in fate and take a risk." Glorfindel said softly, crouching down in front of Rachel where she still sat on the ground. "Why will you not take the risk and believe that Mary-Sues might just not exist here?" There was a pause, and indecision flashed across Rachel's face, showing that she had already thought of this question and had an answer. Now she was deciding whether or not to tell them.  
  
"Because I love Middle-Earth too much." Rachel said finally, biting her lip and staring off into the distance as she spoke. "I grew up with the story of the Fellowship of the Ring, and the Bagginses of Hobbiton, and of all the characters, races and kingdoms in Middle-Earth. They were my refuge through the good times and the bad in my life. Other stories caught my fancy for periods of time, of course, but the tale about Middle-Earth was always the most real to me. It was so easy to lose myself in a world of chivalry and honour, where good and evil were easily distinguished. A world so unlike my own.  
  
"And now..." Rachel hesitated, looking uncertain once again, but then continued. "Now that I'm here, and I know that it's REAL, I...I can't really believe it. I still see it somewhat as a story - and to an extent, it is. Just like everyone's life is a story. But I don't want to disturb this story, because I love it so much. And...because I love it so much, I...guess I find it hard to believe that I was brought here with no bad side effects."  
  
"No bad side effects?" Glorfindel arched an eyebrow. "Rachel, you DIED before being brought here."  
  
"And I didn't even know it until you got me to dig at those specific memories." Rachel said, giving Glorfindel a withering look. "That's not exactly what I'd call a bad side effect."  
  
"It is better than being insane, which is what you would be if you remembered your death and journey here." Gandalf said calmly.  
  
"Says the guy who hasn't died yet." Rachel replied with a snort. "Tell that to me again in 3 months or so and I'll maybe believe you." Both Glorfindel and Gandalf's eyes widened slightly at the implied meaning of that statement, and Glorfindel sent Gandalf a quick look of sympathy before returning his attention to Rachel.  
  
"Then I shall tell you it now. What little I remember of my own death - which is more than you do - scares me witless, and I have stood face-to-face with a Balrog of Morgoth." Glorfindel said, giving Gandalf time to recover.  
  
"And even though I have not died, as one of the Maia, chosen by the Valar to be guides to Middle-Earth and see to the destruction of the last evils of Morgoth, I can assure you that if either you or Lord Glorfindel remembered more of your deaths than you already do, it would mostly definitely have adverse effects on your mind." Gandalf put in. "This is, however, getting off topic. You must believe me -"  
  
"Us." Glorfindel corrected.  
  
"Us." Gandalf conceded, then continued, "You must believe us that there is no such thing as a Mary-Sue here. You will not turn into one and destroy Middle-Earth. If we thought that might happen, do you not think we would do something about it? We are dealing with the Ring, after all, and that merely has the power to enslave Middle-Earth."  
  
"There are some things worse than death." Rachel commented. "Like, say, being enslaved." Gandalf gave an exasperated sigh.  
  
"Do I have to drag you to Valinor, child, and get Manwë to reassure you personally that Mary-Sues do not exist here?!" he exclaimed, and Rachel and Glorfindel both looked over at him in surprise.  
  
"You COULD do that? You WOULD do that? HE would do that?" Rachel asked after a moment. Gandalf nodded.  
  
"Yes to all three." he said. There was a pause.  
  
"Well, my bed back in Rivendell is more comfortable than the ground, anyways." Rachel said, standing up and dusting herself off. Glorfindel looked at her with no little surprise as she looked at Gandalf expectantly, waiting for him to supply her with a horse. Gandalf smiled slightly, and then whistled to Shadowfax. A few moments later, Shadowfax trotted up, Asfaloth only a short ways behind. The Elvish horse whickered happily at the sight of Glorfindel, but the Elf-lord just gave the horse a withering look. Rachel grinned.  
  
"I take it ya don' wanna ride Asfaloth back?" she asked.  
  
"You can ride 'im." Glorfindel grumbled, and then patted the horse he had ridden in on while glaring over at Asfaloth. "At least Angahonda doesn' take off with anyone who asks nicely on his back." Gandalf hid his amusement at the hypocrisy of that statement, noting that while Rachel and Glorfindel seemed to have - somehow - pushed aside the effects of the Dorwinnian wine for their talk, they were now both definitely starting to look and act a little tipsy.  
  
"Then with the riding arrangements settled, shall we get back to Rivendell?" Gandalf suggested. Glorfindel and Rachel nodded, and mounted quickly. Well, quickly considering how much drink they'd had. Then they all three set out back to Rivendell, and by the time they reached the buildings, the sun was rising, and Gandalf was leading both Asfaloth and Angahonda, Rachel and Glorfindel thoroughly asleep and only keeping their seats on the horses through the horses efforts.  
  
----To be continued...with hobbits!----  
(And descisions and promises and cheerfullness and...)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
TGotG broke 400 reviews! Whoohoo! *dances* You reviewers all rock my socks - have the Elf of your choice for a day. Or ranger, if you're so inclined...or, ah, heck, take your pick of anyone in any of the Elven Kingdoms during November of 3018 of the Third Age (in other words, any of the Fellowship or Elves). You need to let them go within 24 hours, though...that was the only way I could get them agree to be given out and not come and kill me afterwards. . I will suffer individuals wraths, but entire Elvish Kingdoms AND the Fellowship mad at me? *shudder* Just think of the hobbits alone! Mad!Hobbits would be quite scary, I'm sure...  
  
One week until RotK! Whoo! Now, the question is, shall I update twice on that day to celebrate, or not at all so you can all go see the movie and not have to spend time reading my updates? I know I'll be writing the chapters for the week up ahead of time and dragging my parents off to see the movie as many times as possible...  
  
Anyways. I'll be updating again on Saturday...maybe earlier if I get impatient. Or if I continue listening to 'Snoopy's Christmas' non-stop. Does it seem odd to anyone else that I listened to that song on repeat the entire time I wrote this chapter? *ponder* *wanders off to listen to it some more*  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	32. Cheerfulness

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own nothing but my cold toes and fingers. And I can't even feel them, so I'm not really sure that I have them, let alone own them...  
  
Rachel: You should try getting hit by lightning. Then you won't be cold.  
  
CS: ...I think I'll pass, Miss Bitter.  
  
Rachel: *grump*  
  
CS: I would gladly move to somewhere in the Australian outback, though...Think your house is still standing?  
  
Rachel: It burned down, remember? Twice, in fact.  
  
CS: ...Right.  
  
...  
  
CS: My characters are reminding me of plot details. This can't be good.  
  
-32: Cheerfulness-  
  
I woke the next day sometime after lunch, thoroughly grumpy. And that was before I remembered what had happened the night before. Before I remembered, I was hungry and tired and annoyed at having my hunger wake me up. Then I remembered the events from the night before - albeit slightly fuzzily - and got thoroughly pissed. Crawling out of bed, I poked my head out my door long enough to snag a servant and snap at them to have a meal brought to my room, then went back inside to brood.  
  
Gandalf's and Glorfindel's arguments had seemed airtight and sensible last night, but I knew my judgment had been severely affected by wine and the need for sleep. So now, as I waited for my meal to appear, and even after it appeared, I carefully went through the argument I'd had the night before. By the time I finished breakfast, however, I was bewilderedly forced to admit that, while Gandalf and Glorfindel hadn't made any strong LOGICAL points, or really said anything profound, their arguments were sound. Or maybe it was that just for once I wanted to feel as if I belonged somewhere, and was latching on to the first thing I saw.  
  
I decided that I didn't really care which it was. Instead, I was going to find Gandalf's hat - if he hadn't stolen it back from me last night - find the hobbits, and see if I could avoid Elves and Men entirely for the rest of the day. I pondered taking a nap first, but I realized if I went to sleep now, I'd sleep until supper, and then I'd be awake for only a short time before having to go back to sleep again. So I might as well just stay up.  
  
I hunted around for a bit before I remembered where I'd hidden Gandalf's hat - behind a pile of my underthings. Delighted to find it still there, I put it on and hummed happily while I picked out a dress. While doing that, my eye caught on my borrowed trousers and tunic, and I amended my previous intention to avoid all Elves and Men to exclude the Rivendell seamstresses. Maybe the hobbits would be up to helping me find the seamstresses, too, since I had no idea where they were and didn't particularly want to ask anyone. My day feeling more settled in my mind - or at least full of more options - I quickly picked out a dark blue dress that matched my eyes, did my hair up, and set off.  
  
Only once I was out of my room did I realize that I had no idea where any of the hobbits but Frodo's rooms were. Cheerfully, I decided that one or another of the hobbits had to be in Frodo's room, especially since Sam had supposedly barely left Frodo's side the entire time he was sick, and so I set off for Frodo's room.  
  
Every Elf I passed in the hallways, of course, looked at me terribly odd. Whether it was for Gandalf's hat, or the fact that I might have run by them last night on my mad dash out of Rivendell, or they heard about my mad dash out of Rivendell and subsequent return, I didn't know and didn't particularly want to know. I did spot Boromir a little ways down the hall, looking like he had just survived a holocaust or two, talking to either Elladan or Elrohir - I couldn't tell which because of the distance, though I assumed Elladan because Boromir knew him better - but I managed to dodge down a side corridor before they spotted me.  
  
I reached Frodo's room without spotting anyone else I didn't want to meet, and peeked in. Sam was there, watching Frodo with a worried look on his face, and I smiled slightly. Strangely enough, being right THERE, in the same room as Sam, I could tell that it really was just platonic brotherly love between him and his master. All the slash writers - which Kari told me there were many of - back home would be disappointed, I'm sure. But it was the truth. And suddenly, it gave me an idea. It was rather risky, and probably stupid, but I didn't care - I felt this was something I needed to do. After all the bad things I had let happen in Middle-Earth, without warning anyone they were about to happen, I wanted to help someone who wouldn't otherwise get that help.  
  
"He will get better." I said softly, stepping into the room and closing the door behind me. Sam started, obviously not having heard me.  
  
"Your pardon, Miss." he said, hastily standing up and bowing slightly, obviously unused to the gesture. "I know he'll get better, I just want to be there when he does."  
  
"Well you needn't worry about him waking up without you here until the day after tomorrow." I said with a ghost of the smile.  
  
"Still, Miss, I feel better sitting here and being sure he's alright." Sam said, shifting slightly uncomfortably. My ghost of a smile grew into a kind one and I came over to Sam and kneeled in front of him so we were eye-to-eye.  
  
"I'm sure you do, Master Gamgee. Your love for your master does you credit, and will help both you and he through the many tough times that are to come to the happy end that lies beyond." I said softly.  
  
"Begging your pardon, Miss, but what exactly do you mean?" Sam asked after a moment, looking just about as afraid of finding out as he was curious.  
  
"I mean that if you stick by Mister Baggins here, no matter what the circumstances, you will find your way back to the Shire, and the happy life you deserve." I replied.  
  
"But I'll be goin' back to the Shire soon's Mister Frodo wakes up. Won't I?" Sam asked, now wholly confused. I grinned and stood up.  
  
"With a little detour, yes." I said. "Now, would you happen to know where Meriadoc and Peregrin have got off to?"  
  
"I think they went to the kitchen." Sam replied, looking a little surprised by the quick change of subject and mood.  
  
"Good. I'll go find them, then. Have a nice day, and don't spend all of it watching over Frodo, otherwise you'll soon be as pale as him from lack of sun!" I said cheerfully, waving as I returned to the door. I waited just long enough for Sam to bid me a confused goodbye, then went out into the hallway and skipped off down to the kitchens. Yes, you read that right, I skipped. The Elves I passed had even more strange looks on their faces than before. It was hilarious.  
  
Anyways, when I got to the kitchen, I found Merry and Pippin trying to finagle food out of the cooks, who were looking slightly exasperated.  
  
"Merry! Pippin! Are you bugging the cooks for food?" I asked as I came over.  
  
"Only because we can't reach any of it." Pippin said with a half pout. I chuckled as one of the cooks put in something about that being intentional.  
  
"Well, it's a good thing I came along, then." I said, then grabbed several buns that were cooling, and some pastries of some sort, and tossed them to Merry and Pippin before the cooks realized what I was doing. As said cooks glared at me, I waved cheerily to them, grabbed two apples, and ducked out of the kitchen, Merry and Pippin close behind.  
  
"Thanwoo!" Pippin said once we were out of the kitchen, his mouth full of pastry. I smiled.  
  
"Not a problem." I replied. "I was looking for something to do, anyways, and helping short people is always a good thing to do. Especially since, unless there are hobbits or dwarves around, I'm usually the short one." Pippin peered up at me.  
  
"You look pretty tall to me." he said.  
  
"That's because she's an Elf and you're a hobbit, Pip." Merry said, rolling his eyes. Pippin shrugged, and I resisted the urge to giggle.  
  
"Well, if you're looking for something to do, d'you think you could show us around some?" Pippin asked after a moment.  
  
"I can try." I said dryly. The hobbits looked at each other.  
  
"Try?" Merry asked.  
  
"Other than the main corridors, Rivendell is an absolute maze to me. I never actually got a full-fledged tour of it, and I haven't been here long enough to figure out where everything is myself." I admitted. "Though goodness knows, I've had need for quite awhile to snoop around and find where the seamstresses have hidden themselves. Elladan's going to want his trousers and tunic back eventually."  
  
"Why do you have Elladan's trousers and tunic?" Pippin asked after a pause. Merry looked scandalized, and I chuckled.  
  
"I borrowed them so I could learn sword fighting." I replied, and Merry relaxed visibly, though he did shoot Pippin one last disapproving glance. Pippin didn't seem to notice it anymore than he had Merry's scandalized look.  
  
"You do sword fighting?" Pippin asked excitedly, and I nodded with a smile. "D'you think you could teach Merry and I some of it? We - ah - acquired some swords - well, to you they'd only be short swords - but we don't know how to use them." I chuckled again.  
  
"I could, yes, but I'm still in the process of learning, myself. Lord Glorfindel can still beat me in about two seconds flat. But then, Glory can probably beat anyone in two seconds flat." I said wryly.  
  
"Still, you're better than us." Pippin replied practically. I nodded, slightly amused, as I considered teaching the hobbits.  
  
"Very well." I said finally. "But first, help me find the seamstresses so I can see about getting my own pair of trousers and tunics made." Pippin agreed eagerly to help me, as did Merry, though the older hobbit hid his enthusiasm better.  
  
And so we set off to find the seamstresses of Rivendell. Surprisingly, it didn't take all that long - Pippin had a WONDERFUL sense of direction. Merry, however, was just about as lost as me by the time we finally reached the seamstresses. Thus, both of us made very sure Pippin didn't wander off as I went about getting some trousers and tunics made.  
  
I had expected the seamstresses to make some big fuss about me wanting 'men's' clothing, but to my surprise, once they heard what I wanted, they got quite excited. After a few bewildered questions, I was finally told wryly by an apprentice that the master seamstresses had been getting bored, and fitting a women with 'men's' clothing was not only a change of pace, but a challenge. Apparently the last challenge they'd had was making maternity dresses for Celebrían. Between that and watching Merry and Pippin poke around the room in curiosity, I had enough to keep me occupied as the seamstresses measured just about every inch of me.  
  
Finally, the seamstresses were done measuring, and after I arranged to have the clothing delivered to my room, I set off once again with Merry and Pippin, this time to our different rooms so the hobbits could get their swords, and I could change. We split up a short ways from my room, agreeing to meet at the same spot once we were ready, and then all went off.  
  
I changed quickly, and then was about to head out when there was a knock on the door. I paused, considering who it might be. Then I decided that the only person who might knock on my door who I cared to see was the seamstresses delivering my clothing, and there was no way they could be done so quickly. So I went out onto my balcony and climbed/jumped down to the courtyard, then dashed back into the building.  
  
The hobbits were waiting for me when I arrived, and we all set off for one of the less-used, and more private, sparring rings that Elladan had showed Boromir and I when I had commented on getting sick of everyone giving me strange looks. So began a nice, relaxing afternoon of teaching hobbits the basics of how to use swords. It was actually just as educational for me as for them - I was used to fighting people bigger and taller than me, so I had to constantly adjust and make up new moves to deal with the hobbits shortness.  
  
The hobbit's stomachs growling at suppertime ended our practice, and, laughing and joking, we made our way to the kitchens, where between the hobbits pitiful pleading and my cajoling, we managed to get three full meals out of the cooks. We sat outside the kitchen to eat our meals, then Merry and Pippin asked if I wanted to come with them to the library to see Bilbo, but I passed to get changed out of my trousers and tunic. Once I was changed, however, and once again wearing Gandalf's hat, I found myself bored again, so I set off for the library. And that was, of course, when Glorfindel finally managed to find me.  
  
"You are almost as good as Elladan and Elrohir at being unfindable." Glorfindel said, arching an eyebrow as he suddenly appeared in front of me. I yelped in surprise and jumped back, only then noticing the small side passageway off to my right.  
  
"Don't do that!" I complained.  
  
"What?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"Pop out of nowhere. It's freaky and scary!" I replied with an emphatic nod. Glorfindel paused, and then shook his head in amusement.  
  
"You should listen better." he said.  
  
"You should walk louder." I retorted.  
  
"This is not why I wanted to find you." Glorfindel said, shaking his head.  
  
"That's good. I would be slightly disturbed if you had wanted to find me to scare me and then argue about whose fault it was." I said. Glorfindel shot me a withering look.  
  
"You seem to be in a wonderful mood." he said.  
  
"'Course I am. I slept in until noon, and then spent the afternoon with hobbits!" I said cheerfully, bouncing slightly.  
  
"So we figured out after a talk with Sam." Glorfindel said, arching an eyebrow. "Which brings me to why I wanted to find you. Lord Elrond and Gandalf wish to speak with you."  
  
"Are they going to ream me out for the little pep talk I gave Sam?" I asked, making a face.  
  
"Perhaps. I believe they have something else to speak with you about." Glorfindel replied. I sighed, my mood dampened somewhat.  
  
"Well, better get it over with, then. Are they waiting for me someplace, or do I have to go find them?" I asked.  
  
"I shall take you to them." Glorfindel said.  
  
"Ah." I replied. "Lead the way then." Glorfindel did, setting off down the hall in the direction that I was pretty sure Elrond's study was. He didn't offer me his arm, as was the custom, but that was good, since I probably wouldn't have taken it. Through the magic of my cheerfulness and the effect of hobbits on the mind, I had been able to keep my mind on the topic at hand while I'd been talking to Glorfindel in the corridor, but now, walking beside him in silence, my mind was running through the events of last night.  
  
I was actually somewhat surprised to realize, after a few minutes of walking, that my mind was not so much running over my little 'escape' out of Rivendell, but the events that caused that 'escape'. And my mind, though I tried to stop it, couldn't help but wonder if Glorfindel's actions had merely been a product of the alcohol and the situation, of if there was something...more. When I started to realize that I was almost hoping there had been something more to it, however, I firmly pushed my thoughts aside and decided it was time for a little distraction. While Gandalf and Glorfindel's arguments had been sound as far as I could tell, I still wasn't quite ready to completely give up believing in Mary-Sues - as I had said last night, while Mary-Sues were 'just stories', Middle-Earth was also supposed to be 'just a story', and I was currently walking in the corridors of Rivendell.  
  
"So, why are you playing messenger boy?" I asked Glorfindel.  
  
"If you will recall, I stole Elrond's horse last night." Glorfindel replied dryly.  
  
"And for that he's making you play messenger boy? Hasn't he ever heard of overkill?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Actually, until he and Gandalf wanted to talk to you, I was simply buried under a mound of paperwork." Glorfindel replied blandly. I blinked.  
  
"Can I whack him when we arrive?" I asked.  
  
"Be my guest, though I do not think it will help you much." Glorfindel replied with amusement.  
  
"I'm already doomed, so it doesn't matter." I said with a grin. Seeing that the conversation was dying out again, I searched around for something else to talk about and found it in the fraying grey brim of Gandalf's hat that bobbed in and out of my vision as I walked. "Say, do you think Gandalf will take his hat back if I walk in wearing it?" I asked.  
  
"Most likely." came Glorfindel's reply.  
  
"Is there someplace I could stash it in-between here and wherever we're going so I could keep it?" I asked. There was an audible pause, as if Glorfindel was uncertain of how to reply.  
  
"No." he said finally. "I am afraid there is not." His voice sounded a little odd, and I shot him a curious look.  
  
"Really now." I said. Glorfindel just gave me a bland look, and I decided to let that topic drop. The topic of losing the wonderful grey hat, however, was not going to be dropped. "Then you are hereby drafted to help me keep Gandalf's hat." I announced, and Glorfindel looked at me in a combination of amusement and protest.  
  
"I think not. I will not get involved in that petty squabble." he said.  
  
"Yes you will." I insisted.  
  
"Why?" he asked flatly.  
  
"Because I said so!" I replied cheerfully  
  
"That is hardly sufficient reason for me to get involved." Glorfindel said dryly.  
  
"It is when I have two hobbits, a mischievous Elf, and two sons of the Steward of Gondor under my command." I replied with a slightly evilish grin. "Why, just the possibilities make me want to cackle insanely."  
  
"More insanely than normal, you mean?" Glorfindel deadpanned. I narrowed my eyes, then swept off Gandalf's hat and swatted Glorfindel on the shoulder.  
  
"I do NOT cackle normally!" I retorted, putting Gandalf's hat back on as Glorfindel rubbed his shoulder in mock pain.   
  
"Very well." Glorfindel said with a sigh, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Don't make me swat you again." I warned.  
  
"Ah, you have not time to do so even if you had reason to." Glorfindel said brightly. "We have arrived!" With that, Glorfindel went the few remaining steps to the door directly ahead of us and knocked lightly. After a few moments, a 'who is it?' was heard from inside. Glorfindel immediately stuck his head in and informed Elrond that he had found me. That was followed by a command to bring me in, and Glorfindel opened and held the door so I could go in.  
  
----To be continued...with understatments!----  
(And some randomness!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Lalalala, as some of you may be guessing by now, things are most deffinately going to be interesting from here on in. We're getting to the good stuff, now! And not even close to the end! (I hope nobody out there was expecting a short tale...cuz this is going to beat out all my previous LotR FanFictions for length, and probably even some of my old *N Sync ones)  
  
Melia: Happy Birthday! And as for my nickname for Legolas...Watch the part of the FotR where the Fellowship is on Caradhas. See Legolas nance around. Add a bunch of sugar, and you end out calling Legolas 'Nancy'. *nod* Honest, it was about two in the morning, and my sister, friend and I had jointly consumed half of one of those big boxes of freezer pops...and we'd just finished watching SNL. Bad combination, all around....That was also the night Frodo earned the name 'Druggie' (for when he wakes up in Rivendell) and Boromir earned 'Turtle' (for when he wears his shield on his back).  
  
In other news, I finally got sick of having regular email server crashes at MyOwnEmail.com, which was where my FanFiction email was hosted. So I now have a new hotmail email! It is, strangely enough, crimson_starlight@hotmail.com It might take me a few days to switch between the addresses, but as of now, crimsonstarlight@starplace.com is an out-of-date email.  
  
Yep, so, that's it for my author's note for this chapter. Hope y'all enjoyed it, and don't forget to review! I love getting reviews, they make my day. Even a flame would make my day...mostly because I could toss it at Jon Dalton of the current Survivor...sneaky l'il sexist bastard. *grumbles* Sorry, just watched a recording of yesterdays episode...  
  
REVIEW PLEASE!  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	33. Decisions

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Snow-woman: I own nothing.  
  
Glorfindel: ...  
  
Rachel: ...Snow-woman? Where'd a snow-woman come from?  
  
Snow-woman: Outside.  
  
Rachel: Well, that's obvious...but snow people are just made of snow. You shouldn't be able to talk...or come inside, for that matter.  
  
Glorfindel: So stop encouraging it, Rachel...  
  
Snow-woman: 'It'? *bops Glorfindel* I'm a she! Get your pronouns straight!  
  
Glorfindel: Yes, Crimson Starlight.  
  
Snow-woman (AKA, CS): Awww, how'd you know it was me?  
  
Glorfindel: You're the only one I know who would bop me with a stuffed fuzzy purple monkey plushie...  
  
Rachel: *snicker*  
  
-33: Decisions-  
  
I admit, I was nervous when I entered Elrond's study, but neither Elrond nor Gandalf seemed particularly mad. Still, I decided to play it safe.  
  
"You wanted to see me, Lord Elrond, Mithrandir?" I asked carefully. I would have curtseyed, but that would have been far too out of character for me, letting them see how nervous I was. And letting Elrond and Gandalf know you were nervous did not strike me as a smart thing to do.  
  
"Yes, Rachel. Please have a seat. Glorfindel, come in as well." At the last part of Elrond's command, I instantly went on alert. Especially since Glorfindel seemed surprised to be asked to stay. Nonetheless, as I took a seat, Glorfindel shut the door, staying on the same side of the wooden barrier as the rest of us, and then leaned up against said door. No one was going to be getting in that way. Or if they did, Glorfindel would find himself shoved out of the way. I held back a snicker at the mental image that thought brought.  
  
I turned my attention back to Elrond, and found that he was staring at me thoughtfully, while Gandalf seemed to be trying to watch me with one eye and Elrond with the other. So, Elrond was the one in charge of this little meeting. And from the way Gandalf was acting, he was not happy that this meeting was happening at all.  
  
"As I'm sure you know, Rachel, some dangerous times have come upon Middle-Earth." Elrond started.  
  
"Understatement!" I muttered, and Elrond gave me a Look before continuing.  
  
"Many things are happening quickly, and momentous decisions will be made soon." he said, and I bit my lip on another 'Understatement!'. "You already know of the council and, I daresay, what will come of it." I nodded. "Good. I have a request, then."  
  
"If it has anything to do with going anywhere near Mordor, no." I said, arching an eyebrow as I guessed just what that request would be. Slight surprise flickered across Elrond's face and I swear I saw Gandalf smirk. As it was, the eyebrow the Maia arched at the Elf-lord clearly said 'I told you so'.  
  
"And why not?" Elrond asked after a moment, leaning back in his chair and regarding me curiously.  
  
"Because I am not fated to be one of the Nine." I replied, tilting my head slightly to one side as I furiously tried to think several steps ahead of what I said - even with Elrond, Gandalf and Glorfindel, I did not want to let go of too much information. Though I'm sure they understood that the things I knew, both good and bad, needed to happen in order for Sauron to fall, information about the future is a dangerous thing.  
  
"The Nine?" Glorfindel interrupted, looking rather confused.  
  
"Gandalf and I have talked, and we have decided it will be for the good of all if the Ring is destroyed. We are going to send nine companions to Mordor to do so." Elrond explained. "Gandalf and I have tentatively decided on five members of the company, but we are having trouble with the last three. We had hoped you and Rachel -"  
  
"YOU had hoped Rachel." Gandalf interrupted. Elrond shot Gandalf and annoyed glance, then continued.  
  
"I had hoped Rachel would be one of them, and we both hoped you would be another." he finished.  
  
"Neither of us will be." I said with a small smile, before Glorfindel could say anything. Glorfindel arched an eyebrow at me.  
  
"Really now." he said, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. I nodded vigorously.  
  
"The three remaining members will actually probably be somewhat of a surprise, but you won't be able to NOT let them go. Unless you want to make use of some ropes and sacks." I replied with a mischievous grin.  
  
"And that is QUITE enough information." Gandalf said firmly at that point.  
  
"Oh, I don't know, I could drop a few more vague hints." I said, grinning and thoroughly enjoying myself.  
  
"I am sure you could, but we do not wish to hear them." Gandalf said firmly. "However, I doubt even that will stop you from saying them, which is part of why I am going to make my next suggestion. I think, Rachel, that it would be best if you went to Lothlorien for the remainder of the War. There, at the least, you would be protected, and any tidbits you might let slip would do less damage there than here." That brought me back to seriousness quickly.  
  
"Er - um..." I said intelligently, my mind racing with all the good and bad things that going to Lothlorien would entail.  
  
"Besides," Gandalf continued in a kinder voice, "You need to make your peace with Kari, and she with you."  
  
"See, that's exactly why I don't really want to go to Lothlorien. I would really rather let Elrohir tell her about me, then go and apologize and make my peace once she's cooled down a bit." I said.  
  
"I think that would be worse than you going yourself." Elrond said.  
  
"Maybe. Maybe not." I replied with a shrug.  
  
"Lothlorien is a big place. You could theoretically spend your entire time there and never cross paths with Kari." Glorfindel commented.  
  
"Doubtful." I said dryly, thinking of how she would be drawn to visit the Fellowship just as I would be expected to because of Boromir. "But I can tell y'all really want me out of here, so I will go. On two conditions."  
  
"Conditions?" Elrond asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"I don't leave until after the council, and super fighter Balrog-killing dude over there comes with me." I replied, jerking a thumb in Glorfindel's direction. Outright surprise was plastered across Glorfindel's face, with Elrond and Gandalf's faces only milder versions. "I have a theory that I am way overdue to run into Orcs, and quite frankly, he's just about the only one I trust enough to be able to deal with any Orcs." The surprised looks disappeared, replaced by thoughtful frowning (Glorfindel) and amusement (Elrond and Gandalf).  
  
"You are aware Lord Glorfindel has many duties here in Rivendell?" Elrond asked, stressing Glorfindel's title.  
  
"Yep." I replied, giving Elrond a bland smile. Elrond glanced at Gandalf. Gandalf gave a miniscule shrug. Elrond's gaze flickered to Glorfindel, who now appeared to be lost in thought and dead to the world around him.  
  
"Glorfindel?" Elrond asked after a moment, clearing his throat to get Glorfindel's attention. Glorfindel started, and when he saw Elrond looking at him expectantly, he arched a questioning eyebrow.  
  
"What say you to Rachel's conditions?" Elrond asked.  
  
"I have no problem with them." Glorfindel replied after a small pause.  
  
"Very well then. We shall see about setting a specific date for your leaving after the council." Elrond said.  
  
"Munderful!" I said cheerfully, bouncing slightly in my seat.  
  
"Now, I believe that is all?" Elrond turned slightly to Gandalf as he said this.  
  
"Not quite." Gandalf said, and all heads turned towards him. "My hat, Rachel?"  
  
"Is staying with me until I leave." I replied stubbornly.  
  
"Then you shall give it back?" Gandalf asked, arching an eyebrow, and I nodded. Gandalf smiled and nodded, signifying that he agreed to that little arrangement. I grinned and resisted the urge to do a little dance of victory - I was actually rather surprised that Gandalf was letting me keep the hat.  
  
"Is that all, now?" Elrond asked again, and there were nods all around. "Good." With that, Elrond stood up, and Gandalf and I followed suit. Then, with Glorfindel holding open the door, we all left the study. Once outside, Gandalf declared he was going to go see where the hobbits had gotten to, and set off before I could tell him they were in the library. Then Elrond made some excuse about needing to speak with some people, and I was left in the hallway with Glorfindel.  
  
I peered suspiciously down the hall after Elrond and Gandalf, quite sure that they had planned that little maneuver. But then, any suspicions of a conspiracy that might be forming were dashed as Glorfindel, after asking if I knew the way to my rooms, excused himself, as well. Gandalf and Elrond still could have planned that, I realized as I set off down the hall - they couldn't control if Glorfindel stayed or left, though.  
  
I shook my head with a rueful smile as I realized just how silly my thoughts were. Instead, I set my mind to finding my rooms and thinking up things to do when I got back there. The problem ended out being solved for me, however, as when I arrived back at my rooms, one of the apprentice seamstresses was waiting, with a request for me to come with her so the master seamstresses could see if some tentative versions of my trousers and tunics fit like they were supposed to. I poked my head into my room just long enough to drop off Gandalf's hat, and then I was off to be subjected to an evening of having seamstresses twitter and mutter all around me as they prodded me with pins and needles - quite unintentionally, of course - and took measurements and re-measurements of parts of my body they'd already gotten earlier that afternoon.  
  
Judging from the prototype trousers and tunic, however, it was worth it. The trousers were nice and comfortable, being loose, yet tight, and showing off some of the toned muscles that I had developed in my legs. The tunic was just as well made - it was like a perfect blend of a dress bodice and a men's tunic. The tight sleeves of a bodice, the practical neckline of the tunic, the form-fitting chest area of a bodice, with the length of a tunic underneath - plus a little extra length, for propriety, as the seamstresses put it. It was still practical, and I was pleased with what they had accomplished otherwise, so I made no comment about propriety.  
  
Eventually, the apprentices came and informed the master seamstresses that it was time for SLEEP, and that they could continue their work tomorrow. So I was able to go back to my room, accompanied by a very apologetic apprentice, just in time to fall into bed - and sleep - myself.  
  
The next two days passed smoothly, as I hung around with the hobbits - and occasionally Boromir - completely avoiding any thought or mention of what I had dubbed the Dorwinnian Night. If the hobbits or Boromir noticed that I seemed to avoid elves, except for Elladan, they made no comment, for which I was grateful. Most of the times, in fact, they kept me company as I ate in my rooms to avoid certain Elf Lords.   
  
I was slightly surprised that Glorfindel didn't try more to seek me out, but I guess he figured we'd have more than enough time to talk this out later - which, actually, was exactly what I had in mind. I was going to enjoy my last few days in Rivendell with the hobbits and Boromir, and then on my trip to Lothlorien, and hopefully in Lothlorien itself, I was going to sort out all the various problems and mucky mires I had managed to get myself into. Besides that, I needed a short while to figure out HOW to sort things out - that evening had set the wheels of my mind a-turning, and before I said anything, I needed to sort myself out.  
  
Then, at last, Frodo woke. The hobbits immediately ditched me to be with him, I didn't take offence, instead going off and having a spar with Boromir. I had found, to my great annoyance, that while I had fought Elladan to a draw the day Frodo had come to Rivendell, I seemed unable to even come close to doing so again. I could hold my own against Boromir - sometimes (OK, rarely) - but Elladan usually whooped me as quickly as Glorfindel had whooped me when he came back.  
  
"I think you are one of those that can only use a sword when you really have a pressing need to." Boromir commented dryly as I found myself staring at the point of Elladan's sword again, not less than a minute after I had started sparring the Elf. I shot Boromir a glare as I yielded. Boromir stepped up to spar me, and I finished him off just about as quickly as Elladan had finished me off.  
  
"As I was saying." Boromir said, looking at the tip of my sword. "I yield." I grunted in annoyance, and then Elladan decided to show me some of the more advanced moves for sword fighting. He claimed I should have been able to pick up on them with no trouble, since I'd used most of them on the day I'd fought him to a draw, but as a smirking Boromir commented, I was abysmally hopeless at them.  
  
"I'm just glad Mr. Balrog Slayer is going to be taking me to Lothlorien, especially after this." I commented grumpily as Elladan, Boromir and I headed back inside once we were done.  
  
"What?!" Boromir's head whipped towards me, as did Elladan's, though Elladan refrained from exclaiming. It was then, of course, that I realized I hadn't told anyone about my planned trip to Lothlorien. I inwardly chuckled, scolding myself for taking this ignoring of people and things I didn't want to think about a little too far.  
  
"I'm going to be going to Lothlorien sometime after Elrond's little council." I said out loud.  
  
"Why?" Boromir asked in confusion.  
  
"Because I have some unfinished business I need to attend to, and Lothlorien is a pretty place." I replied, and then added thoughtfully, "Though Galadriel's rather creepy." Elladan made a choking noise, and I gave him a disapproving look. "Oh, don't tell me you haven't thought it yourself at least once." Elladan coughed once, recovering from his shock, and shook his head wryly.  
  
"I will not deny it, but it is another thing entirely to say it out loud." he said.  
  
"Well, she read minds, yes?" I said, cocking my head to one side, and Elladan nodded warily. "Then which is better, thinking it in your head where she can hear it, or saying it out loud and getting it out of your system when you're away from her?" There was a short silence as Boromir and Elladan looked at me in surprise. I rolled my eyes. "Oh, stop looking so surprised. I do make sense occasionally. And I had to learn tact to survive in the world of Men for the past 800 years."  
  
"You did?" Boromir asked skeptically.  
  
"Don't make me beat you." I warned.  
  
"Ah yes, wonderful tact." Elladan said, nodding wisely.  
  
"Don't make me sic the hobbits on you." I grumped.  
  
"Oh, the hobbits now, is it? Wouldn't Glorfindel be more effective?" Elladan asked, arching an eyebrow. From the curiosity that Boromir couldn't quite manage to hide, and the way Elladan was obviously expecting a retort, I knew that they were hoping to get some clue as to what had gone on between us that we now avoided each other.  
  
"Probably, but the hobbits would be more amusing." I replied with a grin, satisfied when I saw disappointment flit across Elladan and Boromir's faces. "Now, who's up for some food?"  
  
"I think you have been spending too much time around hobbits." Elladan commented.  
  
"Nah, I'm just the exception to the Elven appetite." I replied cheerfully, and headed off for the kitchen. A few moments later, I heard Elladan and Boromir follow.  
  
----To be continued...with the council!----  
(And Manwë...He's not actually in the chapter, but hey.)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
As requested, two chapters in one day to celebrate the release of Return of the King! Not like I have anything ELSE to do besides post, since the ONE theatre in town that is showing the movie is already sold out until Monday. *grumbles* Last year there was two, but then they had to go and close one theatre and then have the other decide not to play it! So now only the new theatre, which costs about $3 more to go to, is the only one playing it...*fumes* Anyways. More in the Author's Note for the next chapter...  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	34. Council

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own nothing, especially not the coincidence that has the council scene - the first one in this FanFiction that corresponds with something in the books - being posted on the same day as Return of the King's release.  
  
Manwë: Of course you do not. Coincidences cannot be owned, especially by mortals.  
  
CS: ...  
  
Rest of TGotG's cast: ...  
  
Manwë: What?! Everybody else got to be in the disclaimers!  
  
CS: *squeak* Vala! *points at Manwë* *falls over*  
  
Glorfindel: *nudges CS with his foot* I think you killed her...  
  
-34: Council-  
  
The next day, at breakfast, I showed up in the main hall for the first time since the little fiasco. Boromir looked a little surprised, but readily accepted my company, while Glorfindel and I silently agreed to mutually ignore each other. It actually wasn't that hard, considering all the new arrivals that I had to look at. Most of them had come in yesterday, or very early this morning, so I hadn't met any of them. So now Boromir and I spent the meal quietly talking about everyone we saw.  
  
Boromir, in particular, was interested in the dwarves, while I was interested in the Elves. I pegged Legolas right away - not because he was the most droolaliciously handsome one of the lot (which he was), or because he looked like Orlando Bloom (he didn't - this Legolas was black haired, for one thing), but because he radiated an authority that let you know that he most definitely had power. And if you didn't notice that radiation of power, the deference with which his fellow elves from Mirkwood treated him supplied it for you.  
  
However, one can only look at new arrivals and speculate about them for so long - even Boromir fell silent eventually. So, for the fun of it, I decided to compare Legolas and Glorfindel and see which was hotter. I quickly concluded that there was no comparison, as the two were far too different. They were each handsome in their own way. I did decide, however, that I preferred Glorfindel's way of handsomeness over Legolas's. I couldn't quite say why, but there it was.  
  
After breakfast, it was time for the Council. Boromir, despite his protestations about going to the Council initially, practically dragged me there once it was time. In the little room/courtyard place where the hall was to be kept, Erestor was waiting to seat arrivals - carefully keeping known feuding parties apart, I noticed - and he ushered Boromir to a seat at the far end of the Council, almost opposite from Elrond, before leading me to another seat - right up by Elrond himself. I glanced at Erestor in surprise, but he just smiled, shrugged, and went to greet and seat the just-arrived dwarves.  
  
Glorfindel popped up not long later and seated himself, and after him, the Council quickly filled up. Last to arrive were, of course, Bilbo, Frodo and Gandalf. While Elrond introduced the council to Frodo, and Frodo to the council, Gandalf and Bilbo took their seats, and I was amused to discover that I had been sandwiched between them. To keep me in line? Probably.  
  
Anyways, the Council soon started, and I was obliged to sit there and be bored while listening to the things that I had either already heard about while in the courts of Gondor or had read about in the Fellowship of the Ring - it was nothing about the Ring, just pieces of news about the goings on in Middle-Earth. Frodo looked about as bored as I, and if I had been closer, I would have started up some sort of game with him. As it was, I was obliged to listen.  
  
Glóin got up and spoke about Moria, catching Frodo's interest, and I, too, began to take note, as Glóin's little speech was the prelude to all the interesting stuff. When Glóin finished, Elrond spoke, giving the history of the Ring insofar as he could. And then, at the end, he mentioned Gondor. Boromir, naturally, decided to speak at that point.  
  
"Give me leave, Master Elrond," he said, "First to say more of Gondor; for verily from the land of Gondor I am come, with the lady you know as Rachel. And it would be well for all to know what passes there. For few, I deem, know of our deeds, and therefore guess little of their peril, if we should fail at last.  
  
"Believe not that in the land of Gondor the blood of Númenor is spent, nor all its pride and dignity forgotten." Boromir shot me a look at this point, and I smiled back innocently. "By our valor the wild folk of the East are still restrained, and the terror of Morgul kept at bay; and thus alone are peace and freedom maintained in the lands behind us, bulwark of the West. But if the passages of the River should be won, what then?" Boromir continued one for awhile about what would happen if they fell, and what the enemies of Gondor and allies of Sauron were doing. Then he got to the heart of what he wanted to say - or rather, ask:  
  
"In this evil hour I have come on an errand over many dangerous leagues to Elrond. Had I not had a guide in my traveling companion -" Boromir nodded slightly to me, acknowledging my skill in leading him here. "- I no doubt would have wandered many days before coming to your fair home. But I do not seek allies in war. The might of Elrond is in wisdom not in weapons, it is said. I come to ask for counsel and the unraveling of hard words. For on the eve of a sudden assault a dream came to my brother in a troubled sleep; and afterwards a like dream came oft to him again, and once to me." I tuned out and looked around the people at the council as Boromir described his dream, which I had already heard and repeated once myself. Most of the members of the council, I was surprised to see, were actually interested in what Boromir was saying. One of the dwarves looked impatient, but the rest still seemed to have faith in the blood of Númenor and believed that what Boromir said held some importance. I smiled in satisfaction, and then turned my attention back to the council as Aragorn stood up.  
  
"And here in the house of Elrond more shall be made clear to you," he said, and threw his broken sword out onto the table. I resisted the urge to mutter 'shinies!' and start playing with the pieces.  
  
What, the pieces of the sword were all polished and shiny, OK? Probably Elven magic making them glitter, but the truth was, they were shiny and they were pretty! Aragorn would probably behead me with the broken edge if I touched it, though.  
  
"Here is the Sword that was Broken!" Aragorn exclaimed, bringing my attention back to the council.  
  
"And what have you to do with Minas Tirith?" Boromir asked, slightly warily, and glancing at me in confusion. I grinned back at him. Ah, it was finally getting good. I had a sudden urge for popcorn.  
  
"He is Aragorn son of Arathorn," Elrond said, though Boromir already knew Aragorn name - I think he was saying it more for the Council's benefit, "and he is descended through many fathers from Isildur Elendil's son of Minas Ithil. He is the Chief of the Dúnedain in the North, and few are now left of that folk." I resisted the urge to snicker as Boromir shot me a murderous glare. He was distracted, however, when Frodo jumped up.  
  
"Then it belongs to you, and not to me at all!" he exclaimed.  
  
"It does not belong to either of us," Aragorn said; "but it has been ordained that you should hold it for awhile."  
  
"Bring out the Ring, Frodo!" Gandalf said solemnly from my side. "The time has come. Hold it up, and then Boromir will understand the remainder of his riddle." I leaned forward, curious to see the much-vaunted One Ring. It glittered in the sun as Frodo held it up, and this time I couldn't help muttering 'shiny!' Gandalf looked at me sharply, and I shrugged, giving him a look that said 'well, it is!'  
  
"Behold Isildur's Bane!" said Elrond, bringing my attention back to the council.  
  
Boromir shot me a furious look, I don't know what for, then spoke again, "The Halfling! Is then the doom of Minas Tirith come at last? But why then should we seek a broken sword?" I resisted the urge to stick my hand into the air and wave it about like I was trying to get a teacher to call on me. Instead, I watched with glee as Aragorn explained.  
  
"Now you have seen the sword that you have sought, what would you ask? Do you wish for the House of Elendil to return to the Land of Gondor?" Aragorn finished.  
  
"I was not sent to beg any boon, but to seek only the meaning of a riddle." Boromir said proudly. "Yet we are hard pressed, and the Sword of Elendil would be a help beyond our hope - if such a thing could indeed return out of the shadows of the past." Boromir looked slightly doubtfully up at Aragorn.  
  
"It can." I said with a grin, unable to resist saying anything anymore. All eyes in the council turned to me, and then suddenly, Bilbo spoke up.  
  
"All that is gold does not glitter,  
Not all those who wander are lost;  
The old that is strong does not wither,  
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.  
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,  
A light from the shadows shall spring;  
Renewed shall be blade that was broken:  
The crownless again shall be king.  
  
"Not very good perhaps, but to the point - if you need more beyond the word of Elrond. If that was worth your long journey to hear, you had best listen to it." Bilbo sat down with a snort. Boromir looked at me and arched an eyebrow. I arched one back, refusing to let him blame me for bringing him here. Then Aragorn turned to Boromir and caught his attention, and he proceeded to forgive Boromir's doubt and give a nice little history of himself and the Dúnedain.  
  
"Isildur's Bane is found, you say," Boromir said once Aragorn was finished. "I have seen a bright ring in the Halfling's hand; but Isildur perished ere this age of the world began, they say. How do the Wise know that this ring is his? And how has it passed down the years, until it is brought hither by so strange a messenger?"  
  
And so followed, after only marginal complaints for food, the stories of Bilbo and Frodo and their adventures with the Ring and those searching it. I'm afraid I zoned out somewhat, and Gandalf kept on nudging me with his (bony) elbow and shooting me warning looks to pay attention. But even if I hadn't read the books, I'd heard the tales already from Bilbo, and Merry and Pippin insofar as they knew. And then Galdor, the Elf from the Grey Havens, stood up, wanting to know what proof there was that the Ring was the One Ring.   
  
"The questions that you ask, Galdor, are bound together," Elrond said. "I had not overlooked them, and they shall be answered. But these things it is the part of Gandalf to make clear; and I call upon him last, for it is the place of honour, and in all this matter he has been chief." Gandalf then stood up and proceeded to describe the doings of Sauron and Gollum's adventures in Mordor. Then Gandalf got into detail about the One Ring, and I started paying more attention, especially as he started talking about Gondor.  
  
"Yet there lie in his hoards many records that few now can read, even of the lore-masters, for their scripts and tongues have become dark to later men. And Boromir, there lies in Minas Tirith still, unread, I guess, by any save Saruman and myself since the kings failed, a scroll that Isildur made himself. For Isildur did not march away straight from the war in Mordor, as some have told the tale."  
  
"Some in the North, maybe," Boromir broke in. "All know in Gondor that he went first to Minas Anor and dwelt a while with his nephew Meneldil, instructing him, before he committed to him the rule of the South Kingdom. In that time he planted there the last sapling of the White Tree in memory of his brother."  
  
"But in that time also he made this scroll," said Gandalf; "and that is not remembered in Gondor, it would seem."  
  
"It's a scroll that's over 3,000 years old. Why would it be remembered?" I commented, arching an eyebrow. "When knowledge has to be passed down from person to person, Mithrandir, minor things like a scroll are easily forgotten, especially among the race of Men." Gandalf nodded at me, and some of the other Council members shot me curious looks, having apparently passed over me or not really noticed me before.  
  
"They do indeed, Rachel." Gandalf said; "But this scroll concerns the Ring, and thus wrote Isildur therein:" Gandalf then proceeded to quote Isildur's scroll, describing the Ring and his foolish declaration of it being bound to his bloodline. He went on to tell of the search for Gollum, and Aragorn told of his capture of Gollum, and then Gandalf told of what he learned from Gollum about the Ring's origins.  
  
"And if that is not proof enough, Galdor," Gandalf said when he had finished with that, "There is the other test that I spoke of. Upon this very ring which you have here seen held aloft, round and unadorned, the letters that Isildur reported may still be read, if one has the strength of will to set the golden thing in the fire a while. That I have done, and this I have read:  
  
"Ash nazg durbatulúk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulúk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul."  
  
Gandalf's voice as he spoke the black speech of Mordor became menacing, powerful and harsh as stone. A shadow seemed to pass over the sun, and the council area for a moment grew dark. The other Elves, I noticed, were plugging their ears, trembling as much as everyone else. For me, while it was impressive, and did make me rather afraid, I knew it was only Gandalf speaking the words, and there were worse things in my world. I listened with only a little hunching of my shoulders, and was pleased to note that my automatic inner-translator DIDN'T translate the Black Speech.  
  
"Never before has any voice dared to utter words of that tongue in Imladris, Gandalf the Grey." Elrond said as the shadow passed, looking distinctly pissed off at Gandalf.  
  
"And let us hope that none will ever speak it here again," Gandalf replied. "Nonetheless I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond. For if that tongue is not soon to be heard in every corner of the West, then let all put doubt aside that this thing is indeed what the Wise have declared: the treasure of the Enemy, fraught with all his malice; and in it lies a great part of his strength of old. Out of the Black Years come the words that the Smiths of Eregion heard, and knew that they had been betrayed:  
  
"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them."  
  
Gandalf went on to say how he learned from Gollum that Sauron knows the One Ring is found, and then Boromir asked what became of Gollum. Aragorn said that he was in prison with the Mirkwood Elves, and Legolas was forced to speak up at that point and admit that Gollum had escaped, and tell the whole tale of how it had happened.  
  
Then, of course, came the tale of Saruman's betrayal. I scowled during the whole thing, occasionally muttering implications at the wizard, but then brightened at the memory of the image from The Two Towers of the Ents destroying Isengard. Boromir kept shooting me strange looks throughout Gandalf's tale, but I ignored him.  
  
When Gandalf was done, Elrond made a little comment about maybe having to ask Bombadil. I twitched in remembrance of his 'poetry' and 'songs' in the Fellowship of the Ring. They went on about Bombadil, and I shifted impatiently in my chair. My stomach was starting to remind me how long it had been since I'd eaten, and I wanted to get to the good part of the Council - of course, with this Council, quite obviously, following the books and not the movies, there would be no REALLY interesting part like the forming of the Fellowship, but I was itching to find out where Sam had hidden himself. Try as I might, I hadn't been able to spot him yet - that hobbit was a very good hider.  
  
Turning back to the council at the sound of Glorfindel's voice, I found that Glorfindel was commenting that even Bombadil would not be able to protect the Ring, and would in the end be conquered by Sauron. Then the Elves started debating hiding the Ring.   
  
"I know little of Iarwain save the name," Galdor said, using Bombadil's recently revealed alternate name, "But Glorfindel, I think, is right. Power to defy our Enemy is not in him, unless such power is in the earth itself. And yet we see that Sauron can torture and destroy the very hills. What power still remains lies with us, here in Imladris, or with Círdan at the Havens, or in Lórien. But have they the strength, have we here the strength to withstand the Enemy, the coming of Sauron at the last, when all else is overthrown?"  
  
"I have not the strength," Elrond said; "Neither have they."  
  
"Then if the Ring cannot be kept from him for ever by strength," Glorfindel spoke up again, "Two things only remain for us to attempt: to send it over the Sea, or to destroy."  
  
"But Gandalf has revealed to us that we cannot destroy it by any craft that we here posses," Elrond said. "And they who dwell beyond the Sea would not receive it: for good or for ill it belongs to Middle-earth; it is for us who still dwell here to deal with it."  
  
"Then," Glorfindel replied promptly, "Let us cast it into the deeps, and so make the lies of Saruman come true." Glorfindel went to continue, but my snort stopped him, and he shot me an annoyed look, and I arched an eyebrow.  
  
"What good would that do, but put us in more danger? If Elves can be twisted by evil into Orcs, how long do you think it would take Sauron to twist some innocent sea creatures to do his bidding and have them search the Seas? And anyways, even if we could get to the Seas - which are, I'm sure most of you know, a rather long ways away - casting it into the water would only delay the problem. Sauron's life force is bound to the Ring, and as long as the Ring is not destroyed, he will keep coming back, no matter how many times you kill his mortal body." I said. "And I really don't think anyone here wants repeat after repeat of the Last Alliance? After all, it WAS the LAST Alliance." There was silence in the Council, and Glorfindel gave me an appraising glance, Gandalf and Elrond approving ones. Probably because I hadn't said anything that even hinted at my knowledge. Me, I was just happy to have been able to say something while at the same time cutting out a bunch of prattling from Glorfindel and Gandalf. My stomach was getting more insistent.  
  
"What Rachel has said is true." Gandalf said after a short moment, and Galdor nodded in agreement.  
  
"If the return to Iarwain be thought too dangerous, then flight to the Sea is now fraught with gravest peril. My heart tells me that Sauron will expect us to take the western way, when he learns what has befallen. He soon will. The Nine have been unhorses indeed but that is but a respite, ere they find new steeds and swifter. Only the waning might of Gondor stands now between him and a march in power along the coasts into the North; and if he comes, assailing the White Towers and the Havens, hereafter the Elves may have no escape from the lengthening shadows of Middle-earth." I credited my fight with Boromir about the might of Gondor for his not blowing up at Galdor for the comment about the waning might of Gondor, though I doubt, in such high company, he would have done so, anyways.  
  
"Long yet will that march be delayed," Boromir said. "Gondor wanes, you say. But Gondor stands, and even in the end of its strength is still very strong."  
  
"And yet its vigilance can no longer keep back the Nine," Galdor commented. "And other roads he may find that Gondor does not guard."  
  
"Because they are one Kingdom of men, holding on without aide, trying to hold back an evil so great it has returned from death." I replied, seeing Boromir getting a little annoyed. Galdor nodded in my direction in acknowledgement of what I had said, and Boromir relaxed.  
  
"Then," Erestor put it, "There are but two courses, as Glorfindel already has declared: to hide the Ring for ever; or to unmake it. But both are beyond out power. Who will read this riddle for us?"  
  
"None here can do so," Elrond said gravely, shooting me a stern glance. I looked back innocently. "At least none can foretell what will come to pass, if we take this road or that. But it seems to me now clear which is the road that we must take. The westward road seems easiest. Therefore it must be shunned. It will be watched. Too often the Elves have fled that way. Now at this last we must take a hard road, a road unforeseen. There lies our hope, if hope it be. To walk into peril - to Mordor. We must send the Ring to the Fire." Silence fell, and everyone became absorbed in their thoughts - except for me, who was still trying to spot Sam. The hobbit had probably seen me looking and was terrified of being caught now, though. I never caught sight of him, and was drawn back to the council as Boromir spoke.  
  
"I do not understand all this," he said. "Saruman is a traitor, but did he not have a glimpse of wisdom?"  
  
"No." I stated, drawing the attention of the council once more. "Not in matters of the One Ring. The One Ring is corrupt, and corrupts all who seek to use it, either for good or for ill. As Saruman has shown, one does not even need to have seen or possessed the Ring for it to corrupt them. Absolute power corrupts absolutely - any who try to use the Ring will eventually be twisted to its evil ways."  
  
"As you say, Rachel." Elrond said with a nod in my direction. I nodded back at him, enjoying the Council much more now that I could actually say something worth saying.  
  
"So be it." Boromir said. "Then in Gondor we must trust such weapons as we have. And at the last, while the Wise ones guard this Ring, we will fight on. Mayhap the Sword-that-was-Broken may still stem the tide - if the hand that wields it has inherited not an heirloom only, but the sinews of the Kings of Men."  
  
"Who can tell?" Aragorn commented blandly. "But we will put it to the test one day."  
  
"May the day not be too long delayed," Boromir said. "For though I do not ask for aid, Gondor needs it. It would comfort us to know that others fought also with all the means that they have." And so the council went on past the interesting part into the status of where the other unaccounted rings were - the Seven, presumed taken, and the Three, the Elves would not tell the location of. Not that I needed to be told. I could shock the socks of Elrond and Gandalf - if they even wore socks; I hadn't thought to find out - by telling them where all three of the Three Elven Rings were if I wanted to.  
  
Then Elrond got going about who should take the Ring to Mordor, and Bilbo popped up and volunteered to take the Ring. Frodo got a rather possessive look on his face when Bilbo mentioned taking the Ring again, but it passed when Gandalf told Bilbo that this was no long his tale, and it was not for him to take the Ring to Mordor.  
  
"I have never known you give me pleasant advice before," Bilbo said with a laugh. "As all your unpleasant advice has been good, I wonder if this advice is not bad. Still, I don't suppose I have the strength or luck left to deal with the Ring. It has grown, and I have not. But tell me: what do you mean by 'they'?"  
  
"The messengers who are sent with the Ring." Gandalf replied promptly.  
  
"Exactly! And who are they to be? That seems to me what this Council has to decide, and all that it has to decide. Elves may thrive on speech alone, and Dwarves endure great weariness; but I am only an old hobbit, and I miss my meal at noon. Can't you think of some names now? Or put it off until after dinner?" Silence reigned, and I grinned as every looked amongst each other, even as the noon-bell rang. Finally, Frodo spoke up.  
  
"I will take the Ring," he said, "though I do not know the way."  
  
"If I understand aright all that I have heard," Elrond said, looking piercingly at Frodo, "I think that this task was appointed for you, Frodo; and that if you do not find a way, no one will. This is the hour of the Shire-folk, when they arise from their quiet fields to shake the towers and counsels of the Great. Who of all the Wise could have foreseen it? Or, if they are wise, why should they expect to know it, until the hour has struck?  
  
"But it is a heavy burden. So heavy that none could lay it on another. I do not lay it on you. But if you take it freely, I will say that your choice is right; and though all the mighty elf-friends of old, Hador, and Húrin, and Túrin, and Beren himself were assembled together, your seat should be among them." And at that, of course, Sam emerged from the dark shadows in the corner of the meeting area - where he had been hidden from my view by the dwarves - protesting that Frodo couldn't be sent alone.  
  
"That's where you were hiding!" I exclaimed, snapping my fingers. Sam blushed, and Elrond made his little comment about Sam and Frodo being inseparable, and telling Sam he could go with Frodo. I - and most of the Elves at the Council - then heard Sam's comment about what a nice pickle they'd gotten themselves into. All the Elves shared amused smiles.  
  
----To be continued...with Shadowfax!----  
(Hey, he may only be in one or two paragraphs, but dangnabit, I like those one or two paragraphs!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
And that's the last chapter for the day! From here on in, it's going back to one-at-a-time updates...unless I get really REALLY bored during Christmas vacation. Even then, though, I might simply up the frequency of those updates...to, say, once every other day. We shall have to see. I may not even be allowed on the computer, since I have a 5-week overdue report that I've barely managed to finish the first draft of. *wince*  
  
Anyways. Thanks to all my reviewers and readers - please review! Even if you don't, just for reading this, you all get palantír-look-alike marbles. Doesn't sound like much, I know, but I'm running out of things to give out now that I'm banned from all three Elven kingdoms...Ooooh, wait, they didn't say anything about the Grey Havens! Alright then, everybody who reviews gets a ticket to a cruise to Valinor and back on an Elven ship! You won't be able to set foot on Valinor, because Manwë and the rest of the Valar are scary, but hey. Seeing it is better than nothing, right?  
  
Hope y'all managed to get out and see Return of the King today, unlike me, or if you didn't, you already have tickets, unlike me! I'm off to drool over my pumpkin cheesecake while trying to finish the afore-mentioned report...  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	35. Packing

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Glorfindel: Well, Crimson Starlight's still out flat from the last disclaimer, when Manwë decided to grace us with his presence. He's gone now, so the disclaimer this chapter falls to whoever wants to do it - which means I will probably be doing it.  
  
Mandos: If you don't want to, I could do it.  
  
Glorfindel: ...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! *runs away*  
  
Rachel: *peers after him* I think he's still a little paranoid about the last time he saw you.  
  
Mandos: I don't know why. I let him come back...  
  
Gandalf: But dieing can be rather traumatic.  
  
Mandos: I suppose. I have never expierienced it, myself, so I shall have to take your word for it.  
  
Rachel: And mine. Dieing is traumatic. Very traumatic.  
  
Mandos: Very well then. If you say so.  
  
Gandalf: Indeed. Crimson Starlight owns nothing.  
  
CS: *mumbles* Except the coconuts that grow on the purple monkey farm...  
  
Mandos and Gandalf: ...  
  
Rachel: She's always like that, just ignore her.  
  
-35: Packing-  
  
As soon as Sam, Frodo, Bilbo and I showed our faces in the dining hall after the Council, we were ambushed by Merry and Pippin, who were both demanding to know what had gone on in the Council. Bilbo managed to put them off by saying it was a lot of talk and nothing else, and so were able to eat. I fell to with as much gusto as the hobbits that had been at the council, much to the amusement of many of the Elves. When I finished, Elladan appeared and announced that Elrond wanted to see me. So, with a promise to the hobbits to be back later, I got up and followed Elladan...back to the place where the council had been held. Most of those that had been there had cleared out, and now only Gandalf, Glorfindel, and Elrond remained, while Elrohir had recently joined them, and Elladan looked as if he was planning on staying, as well.  
  
"Well, Rachel, you have been to the council you so badly wanted to attend, and now it is time to set a date for your departure. Yet now that the council has finished, I think perhaps you requested to stay until after the council for a reason?" Elrond shot me an amused look as he finished speaking.  
  
"All I know is messengers will be going out. Other than that, from now until December 25th is a blank." I said, holding up my hands in defense.  
  
"And yet you still need to be sent to Lothlorien to stop slips like that from happening." Gandalf said with a small smile. I blink at him, then winced slightly as I realized what I'd just done.  
  
"Whoops. Good thing I already agreed to go to Lothlorien, then, yes?" I said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes, good thing indeed." Elrond said with a small frown. "When do you wish to leave?"  
  
"How long does it take to get ready for the journey?" I asked in reply. Elrond gave me an amused look.  
  
"Four days, then?" he suggested.  
  
"Sounds good to me!" I replied cheerfully, then paused thoughtfully. "How long does it take to get to Lothlorien, anyways?"  
  
"It depends on the pace we set." Glorfindel replied. "Two weeks to a year."  
  
"A year?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. "That would be going, what, one step a day?"  
  
"Just about." Glorfindel replied. I blinked at him.  
  
"Did you just make a joke? You just made a joke. Have you been drinking?" I asked. Glorfindel rolled his eyes.  
  
"After what happened the last time I drank, I am not particularly eager to do so again." he said. That touched a nerve, and I was about to retort, but Elrond cut me off.  
  
"Enough! You two shall have plenty of time for your banter on the journey to Lothlorien." he said, glancing between Glorfindel and me sternly. In the background, I distinctly heard a snicker, and I turned and arched an eyebrow at the twins, one of which, I knew, was the culprit. Both looked back innocently, and I absently wondered if they'd snickered in unison.  
  
"Now, you had best go ready yourselves for the journey. And Rachel, you will need a new horse." Elrond said.  
  
"What's wrong with Black Thunder?" I protested.  
  
"While she does show attributes of her ancestor," Glorfindel said dryly, "She is far too loud. The roads have only become more dangerous since you and Boromir traveled them, especially with Saruman betraying us, and I refuse to escort someone who makes more noise than an army of orcs."  
  
"Hey! And army of orcs is louder than Thunder!" I said with a scowl.  
  
"And how would you know?" Glorfindel asked, arching an eyebrow. I arched an eyebrow back at him.  
  
"How do you think I would know?" I asked. Silence fell for a moment as everyone figured out what I meant, and then Gandalf cleared his throat.  
  
"You have hardly had Black Thunder for a long enough time to become emotionally attached." he pointed out.  
  
"Yeah, I know. It was the principal of the thing, though." I replied with a shrug. Gandalf sighed. "What? The council was boring!"  
  
"Then why did you go?" Gandalf asked.  
  
"So I can say I was there." I replied with a grin. "After Kari's done killing me, she will be rather jealous."  
  
"I'm sure." Elrohir commented dryly. I glanced over at him, but Elrond butted in again before I could say anything.  
  
"Four days, and with a new horse." He declared. "Now go pack." He gave me a glare, and I curtseyed as politely as I could manage before dashing out of the room with a grin on my face. I heard his sigh as I left.  
  
It occurred to me, once I had reached my room, that the twins had been acting as if they knew that I knew about the future, and I recalled quite clearly NOT mentioning that knowledge when I'd come back to Rivendell. With a low growl, I decided that Elrond had probably told them. Somewhat sulkily, I wondered who else he had told without asking me, and then pushed those thoughts aside to begin packing. The hobbits found me later as I was still packing, and immediately wanted to know what I was doing. When I explained, they got very sad and pulled the hobbit-puppy-dog-eyes on me. If it hadn't been for the fact that I knew Elrond would make me go even if I didn't want to, I probably would have decided not to go right then and there. Instead, I carefully explained to them that I had to go visit a friend that I hadn't seen in over 800 years.  
  
"And anyways," I said with a small, conspiratorial smile, "I'll be seeing you again in four months."  
  
"You'll be coming back?" Pippin asked brightly.  
  
"No, you'll be visiting me." I said. The hobbits all looked at each other in confusion.  
  
"We will?" Merry asked.  
  
"Yes. And don't tell anyone I told you that. Especially Gandalf." I said, and the hobbits all promised they wouldn't tell anyone.  
  
The next day, several of the seamstresses' apprentices appeared at my door in the early morning with a pile of new trousers and tunics for me, and I spent the morning gleefully going through them and trying them all on. There's just something about the smell and feel of new clothes.  
  
Anyways. After I finished my girly morning and packed the majority of the trousers and tunics into my bag, I had a quick lunch. As I finished, Elrohir and Elladan showed up.  
  
"We're taking you to find a horse!" they declared cheerfully.  
  
"Again?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. "What, are you in charge of taking people to find horses in Rivendell?"  
  
"Not usually." Elladan said with a shrug. "But we do not want to miss you picking another horse, since the last time was interesting."  
  
"Tell me there isn't another troublesome stallion in the paddocks!" I pleaded, suddenly worried, but Elladan and Elrohir shook their heads.  
  
"There is not. Which is why we wish to see what horse you shall pick this time." Elrohir said.  
  
"Well," I said, standing up as I finished my lunch, "Let's go then!" And so we set off for the pastures and the horses contained therein. This time, I was less amazed with the variety of the horses, and after having spent that time in the Rohan stables, I inspected the horses more carefully, looking for one that had both speed and stamina, instead of just looking for the horse that could stick its tongue out at me. After a few moments, I found the perfect horse - and then, as he walked through the sunlight, I realized he was silver.  
  
"Shadowfax, get your ass out of here! I'm trying to find a horse, and next to you, they all look like cows!" I exclaimed, making shooing motions at the horse. Shadowfax gave me an amused look, snorted, and then cantered off out of view to the far end of the pasture. Elladan and Elrohir tried to contain their laughter, and failing that, tried not to collapse from their laughter, due to not knowing what they might fall into. This WAS a pasture, after all.  
  
While Elladan and Elrohir were recovering from their mirth, I went back to inspecting the horses. In the end, I picked a nice dappled-grey mare, who Elladan informed me had a very sweet disposition.  
  
"Munderful." I said. "Just as long as she can run as fast as I think she can."  
  
"She is quite fast when she sets her mind to it." Elladan confirmed. "From what I have heard. I have never actually seen her run."  
  
"Well, there's no reason for someone to be spreading rumors about how fast she is, right? So she's fast." I said cheerfully. "Does she have a name?"  
  
"Yes, but it is customary that you give her a new one." Elrohir said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Just like it was 800 years ago." I filled in the unspoken addition, and Elrohir chuckled.  
  
"Yes." he said.  
  
"Well then..." I said thoughtfully as I inspected my new horse carefully, trying to think of a name.  
  
"Aratelpe!" I announced finally. Elladan and Elrohir blinked.  
  
"Dawn Silver?" Elrohir asked with a light frown.  
  
"Oh shut up, it's poetic." I said, sticking my tongue out at him. Elladan and Elrohir shrugged, then I jumped up onto Aratelpe's back and tried steering her around a bit. Satisfied, I pointed her towards the pasture fence and kicked her into a gallop. To my delight, she reached the fence quickly and cleared it easily.  
  
"She's fast, and she knows how to jump!" I exclaimed cheerfully as Elladan and Elrohir caught up. They shook their heads, and then we took Aratelpe to the pasture where those horses with specific riders were kept, and went back into the main buildings. Elrohir and Elladan excused themselves, saying they had business to attend to in the library, and so I went to visit Boromir - and found him packing.  
  
"What are you doing?" I asked with a blink.  
  
"I should think that was obvious." he said, arching an eyebrow at me.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"Home."  
  
"You can't go home!" I exclaimed.  
  
"And why not?" he asked. "I've done what I came to do. Father needs me back in Gondor." I opened my mouth to protest that he needed to go with the Fellowship to Mordor, then shut it, realizing that A) I had no sensible way to explain it to him and B) if I made him go, I was making him go to his death. I think that was when it hit me for the first time that this man, that I had known since childhood, was going to die within a year. I sat down on the edge of the bed, alternately trying to think of a way to get him to go with the Fellowship and scolding myself for trying to think of a way to convince Boromir to go to his death.  
  
That was, of course, when a messenger arrived with a summons from Elrond for Boromir, and Boromir, with a sigh, followed the messenger off. I welcomed the respite as I started unpacking everything Boromir had just packed, trying to work out my moral dilemma. To send him, or not to send him? That was the question. And how. Then he returned, and I found that the problem had been taken out of my hands.  
  
"Elrond wishes me to be part of the company that will accompany the two hobbits to Mordor." Boromir told me, a thoughtful expression on his face, as he returned.  
  
"And what did you say?" I asked, not about to make the mistake of telling him to go like I did with the Council.  
  
"I said I would have to think about it." Boromir said, then seemed to suddenly notice that I had unpacked his pack. He glanced over at me. "Is that a hint?" I shrugged.  
  
"Honestly, Boromir?" I started hesitantly, then took a deep breath and continued. "I would much rather you stay as far away from the group taking the Ring to Mordor as possible. But it is part of your fate."  
  
"Do you feel it, too, then?" Boromir asked curiously.  
  
"Feel what?" I asked blankly.  
  
"A sense of...foreboding, of bad things to come, whenever the quest to Mordor is mentioned?" Boromir replied. "It seems to hang thick in the air, to me. It is mainly what makes me hesitate in accepting, and what mainly makes me want to go. I fear that this feeling of ill does not bode well for the quest, but whether my help will ease that feeling or cause the ill it foreshadows, I cannot tell." I bit my lip as I looked over at Boromir, where he stood in front of the window, looking out pensively, his 40 years, and the battles he had fought in that time, suddenly showing themselves.  
  
"I can, Boromir, but it is not for me to tell." I said sadly. Somewhat to my surprise, Boromir just gave me an understanding look, and didn't even probe farther about how I knew.  
  
"Then I suppose I shall just have to do what I do best - go with what makes the most sense to me, and try until it works." he said with a sigh.  
  
"Yes, I suppose so." I said, then scolded, "And take your flipping shield with you everywhere!" Boromir rolled his eyes.  
  
"Yes, m'Lady." he said sarcastically.  
  
"I'm not joking, you little twit." I said warningly.  
  
"I will!" he said, raising his hands in self defense, and then suddenly shot one hand out to poke me in the ribs. I yelped and jumped sideways, being as ticklish as ever. Boromir smirked down at me, and in revenge, I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. He didn't quite duck in time, and threw the pillow back. Within minutes we were in a full-fledged pillow-fight, with intermittent tickling fights. Well, the tickling fights were sort of one-sided, since Boromir, the little twit, was not ticklish. But hey.  
  
I really was going to miss this guy when he died.  
  
----To be continued...with a lecture to Elrond!----  
(And Gandalf's recovery of his hat...unfortunately.)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
That little ending for the chapter is for that reviewer (I can't remember who) who made a comment awhile ago about Rachel not seeming to react to Boromir's impending death, as well as all those reviewers who have voted to have me save Boromir. Because, well, SplendiferGoddess is right - I can't write a FanFiction without killing something. And nobody in Middle-Earth has a goldfish...I will, however, be having some more fun with Boromir before he dies. After all, the Fellowship spends a whole month in Lothlorien, where Rachel is going to go very soon.  
  
Anyways. I got bored on Friday evening, and started playing around with my graphics program. And then I found that I had the Lord of the Rings font. Therefore: http://users.accesscomm.ca/ottosen/pichost/TGoTG.gif  
It looks all professional. :) Which it's not, of course, but hey. 'Twas fun to do...  
  
Also, don't expect rapid updates from me over the christmas holidays. Relatives coming, probably (if I read my mothers hints right) new computer programs to play with, and I'm feeling uninspired due to my moderate depression over not getting to see RotK anytime soon. On the otherhand, if I see RotK, you'll know about it. Because I'll probably come home and post a chapter or two just for that occasion...  
  
So yeah, thanks once again to my reviewers. ('specially those with diplomatic immunity - I can get back into the Elven kingdoms now! Whoo!) You all get...ehm...oh, I don't know. How about some Elven clothes of your choice? And yes, I will be stealing the clothing from well-known Elves. And yes, if enough of you specifically request the robes or such of one Elf, their entire wardrobe could concievably be exhausted. :)  
  
That's all for me for now! See ya next chapter!  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	36. Preparing

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own nothing.  
  
...  
  
CS: What are you still here for? I said I own nothing. Now go away and leave me alone...  
  
Rachel: Someone's lost the Christmas spirit...  
  
CS: *turns Rachel into a frog* Shut up, I have a headache.  
  
Glorfindel: O.o  
  
Glorfindel: *opens his mouth to say something, recieves an Author!Glare*  
  
Glorfindel: *shuts mouth, shrugs, and gives Frog!Rachel a smooch*  
  
Rachel: *returns to normal*  
  
Glorfindel and Rachel: *edge away from CS carefully*  
  
...  
  
Haldir: Well this was a boring disclaimer...  
  
-36: Preparing-  
  
The next two days were spent with preparations, or hanging out with the hobbits and Boromir. Elladan and Elrohir were gone from Rivendell on the second day after the council, so my spars were temporarily suspended to help the hobbits learn more about how to use their swords. With Frodo better, Sam was more amiable to hanging out with us, and Boromir and I taught him and Frodo some basics about how to use their daggers/swords - that is, after Boromir finished drooling over the workmanship on the weapons. Apparently, besides a few of the ancient Elven-forged swords, Boromir had not seen anything like the hobbits daggers in quite awhile.  
  
The night of the third day after the council - October 28th, for those of you keeping track - I ventured into the Hall of Fire one last time, and pulled Elrond off to one side to talk about the journey, with an intention to talk to him about something else entirely if I got the chance - there was one thing that would happen no matter what I did, and after how nice Elrond had been in putting up with me, I wanted to help him deal with it somehow. I got the chance when Arwen stood and sang a slow love ballad, her eyes fixed on Aragorn the entire time. Elrond was scowling by the end of it, and I had to catch his attention with a snap of my fingers.  
  
"Stop scowling, it makes you look old." I told him. Elrond gave me a withering look. "As does that." I added.  
  
"Perhaps that is because I am old, Rachel?" he replied somewhat testily.  
  
"Yes, and you have been far away from your wife and her sensible influence for far too long." I replied promptly. Before Elrond could say anything more, I continued. "Arwen loves him, Elrond, and there is nothing you can do about it. Even if you convince her to leave him, and go into the west, she will still love him. In time she will come to - well, if not hate, then resent - you for making her leave him. If she survives that long. Love of that depth is the type that causes even humans to die from heartbreak if it is denied." Elrond stared at me for a few moments, absorbing what I just said.  
  
"And how would you know anything about my daughter and Aragorn?" he said angrily.  
  
"The same way I know of everything of the future." I said softly, looking straight at Elrond. "You cannot pull them apart - fate has decreed that they are to be together, for better or for worse. It is up to you to accept that, and treasure what time you have left with your daughter." Elrond was, by now, looking at me in a combination of panic and hate. His face was marvelously expressive tonight, for a wonder.  
  
"I will not leave my daughter to die." He finally hissed. Inwardly, I cringed - getting Elrond mad was not on the list of Things You Do If You Want To Live, and Elrond was most definitely mad. I didn't even know Elves COULD hiss - though I suppose it makes sense that they could, since it's really just a tone of voice.  
  
"She will die if you do not leave her." I replied blandly, hiding my inner fear as best I could. Elrond glared at me for a moment, and I looked right back. Finally, he sighed, breaking the staring contest.  
  
"I do not want to lose her." he said darkly, staring out over the Hall at Arwen, where she sat next to Aragorn, talking and laughing with him.  
  
"No parent wishes to lose their child." I said softly. "But before this war is ended, many more parents who have had far less time with their children than you shall lose them. Be glad you have had several millennia with her and that you are not losing her to the ravages of war." Elrond sighed, and nodded, then gave me an appraising glance.  
  
"You hide it well, Rachel, but you do have wisdom within you." he commented.  
  
"Sh, don't tell anyone!" I said, then grinned, and Elrond chuckled. "Though I'm sure I'm only stating ahead of time what Galadriel would say if she knew what was going on."  
  
"I doubt she wants to lose her granddaughter." Elrond said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"She may not, but she is a smart cookie about what fate has in store." I replied primly.  
  
"Even if she is creepy?" Elrond asked dryly, and I grinned back and nodded.  
  
"Yep." I said. "Now I'm going to go get some sleep - Glorfindel informed me that he wanted to leave bright and early tomorrow morning, but somehow I doubt it will be the former, even if it will be very much the latter." I heard Elrond chuckling behind me as I skipped off. I paused in the hallways to make faces at random Elves, but eventually got to my room - and found Boromir waiting.  
  
"Mir! How are ya?" I asked cheerfully as I bounded over to where he was sitting in a chair in my sitting room, reading a book.  
  
"Good." He said with amusement, closing the book and looking up at me. "You are in a good mood. Did you find some more wine in the Hall of Fire?" I made a face.  
  
"No, I stay away from alcoholic beverages now. They're too dangerous. Sugar is another matter, though." I said, and Boromir chuckled. "So what're you doing here?" I asked.  
  
"I came to tell you that I have made my decision - I will be going with the company to Mordor." Boromir replied, and that dampened my mood considerably.  
  
"Well, good luck, then." I said with false cheeriness. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, and be sure to squash a few orcs for me!" Boromir looked at me carefully for a moment, and I forced my smile to look more sincere. He nodded, apparently accepting, if not my cheeriness, then the fact that I wanted him to believe I was cheery. Abruptly, he stood and pulled me into a hug. After a blink of surprise, I returned to hug fiercely. Though really, it wasn't as if this was going to be goodbye - I'd see him in Lothlorien. If Kari didn't strangle me.  
  
"I will miss you, Rachel." Boromir said softly when we broke the hug.  
  
"Same here, 'Mir." I replied, smiling softly. And with that, Boromir cleared his throat, gave a little bow, and turned and left the room. I sat down in the chair he had recently been in and bit my lip, trying not cry, for several minutes after he left. Then I slowly got up and went to bed.  
  
---  
  
As I had predicted to Elrond the night before, it was very early, and very dark, the next morning when there came a knock on my door. It was Gandalf, who informed me that it was time to leave. I quickly got dressed and shoved my night clothes in my pack - I was taking all my clothes with me, since I knew I'd be in Lothlorien for at least a year or so while the War of the Ring occurred. I grabbed Gandalf's hat, from where it sat on my bed, and handed it to him as I lifted my pack, and he nodded in thanks before putting it on his head. Then we headed out of my room, with Gandalf leading, and soon we were at the main courtyard of Rivendell. To my surprise, Merry and Pippin had roused themselves out of bed to say goodbye to me, and latched onto me when I appeared.  
  
"Good-bye Rachel, we'll miss you!" they said, almost in unison.  
  
"And I'll miss you." I said with a smile. Merry and Pippin let go, and backed off as I headed over to where Aratelpe was already waiting for me. Glorfindel was waiting slightly beyond on Asfaloth, and Gandalf was now standing next to Elrond near the exit from the courtyard, apparently waiting to say goodbye to both Glorfindel and I. Other than them, the courtyard was empty - Glorfindel and I had both said our other goodbyes yesterday (though the hobbits were proof that that didn't necessarily mean that someone we'd said goodbye to wouldn't show up anyways). In the eerie pre-dawn silence, broken only by the quiet sounds of nature, I strapped my pack onto the back of Aratelpe's saddle - I had decided to use one, since this was to be a long journey - and then mounted up.  
  
"Namarie. May the Valar go with you." was all Elrond said before moving out of the way, and Glorfindel eased Asfaloth into a walk. I gave a small salute to Merry and Pippin - I'm not sure if they even knew what it meant - and then followed him, resisting the urge to grab Gandalf's hat again as I rode past.  
  
Not any surprise, the entire day that followed, Glorfindel and I remained silent, looking forward and not at each other. For my part, I was still trying to figure out how to fix things between Glorfindel and I - this would be a very boring trip if we didn't talk to each other. Glorfindel's face, the one time I looked over at him, was impassive, with no emotion showing.  
  
And when I looked again later in the evening, when he told me in as few words as possible that we were setting up camp, his face hadn't changed. It was odd, to say the least - but it was better than the moodiness that there had been before when I met him by chance in Rivendell some where. Then he had gone from annoyed with me to relaxed and joking, just like we'd been before, in a matter of seconds, and then back again in half the time.  
  
Still, if the entire trip was like this, I was going to be bored out of my skull. So, as I sat across the fire from Glorfindel - who was currently showing the most emotion that he had all day by frowning slightly at the fire, which didn't seem to want to give off any heat - I watched him and contemplated what to say to broach the topic. I decided soon that this probably would have been a whole hell of a lot easier if I'd done it earlier, and that I might as well just be frank about it. After all, I hadn't been circumspect about anything before - it would seem odd if I was now.  
  
"This silence is going to drive me crazy." I announced. Glorfindel looked up, briefly, and then went back to prodding the fire with a stick. I had noted earlier, with some amusement, that Glorfindel kept a healthy distance from the fire. Perhaps more healthy than normal. Ah, the side-effects of Balrogs. But that didn't help with the fact that Glorfindel was continuing to prod the fire as if I had never spoken.  
  
"I'm going to poke you with a stick if you don't say something." I commented. Glorfindel rolled his eyes this time before returning to prodding the fire. So, I stood up, went a short ways to the copse of trees that had supplied our firewood tonight, found a long-ish stick, returned to the fire, sat in my normal spot, and used my new stick to poke Glorfindel. He scowled at me, and returned to the fire. I prodded him again, and the stick was yanked out of my grasp.  
  
"Don't." was all he said, and I sighed. Maybe it would just be better to talk tomorrow - Glorfindel was obviously not in a very talkative mood. I had my courage up now, though, and opened my mouth to say something more - only to have a very scathing look from Glorfindel silence me. Yep, he definitely didn't want to talk. So I gave up on him - for that night.  
  
----To be continued...with silence!----  
(Never knew silence could be exciting, hm?)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Ah, it seems Kari is a more missed character than I thought...ah well. She shall be back shortly. Not in a large amount at first, but she's going to join the honoured ranks of Glorfindel and Bob with her first appearance. (free giant-sized candy canes to those who guess what honoured ranks those are) And then...I'm thinking some Haldir torture is in order. And maybe a kidnapping or two...*evil grin* Oh the plans I have!  
  
Anyways. Merry Christmas, Yuletide, and whatnot to all my reviewers. Or perhaps I should just say Happy Holidays to avoid any trouble? Well, whatever, have a happy next few days, and I hope you get presents that will amuse you muchly. Because unless I see RotK, I won't be updating until New Years. I'll probably do it then at Midnight, or as close as possible, just to say that I've done it...yeah. Alternatively, y'all can go read The Fresca Files by Dreamstrifer if you get bored and want good fanfiction. Just be ready for strange looks from people as you laugh.  
  
And on that note, thank you to all my reviewers, you're great. Especially the few that I seem to have picked up recently and have read this story from beginning to...the currently posted chapter in a matter of days. Believe me, I feel your pain with the whole addicted-to-a-story-and-can't-stop-reading-even-though-it's-midnight-and-I-really-should-go-to-bed deal. I've run into a few stories like that, and I would probably end out up to 2 am reading them if my parents let me...I am honoured, though, that my story inspires that type of sleep-rejecting - mm, shall I call it loyalty? Or addiction? *ponders* Ah well, either way, it's all good.  
  
All my reviewers get a dozen Ninjabread Men, and a clone of Nazgul #8 to do with what they will. Just don't try and use him to kidnap Aragorn - he's still traumatized from being lit on fire, and will run away and never come back if you suggest he goes near Isildur's Heir.  
  
Now I'm off to translate some more of FotR into Yoda grammar!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	37. Silence

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Hugh Jackman. Other than that, I don't own anything.  
  
Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Hugh Jackman: You do not own us!  
  
CS: Yes I do!  
  
Rachel: *sigh* Just because you own movies with them in them doesn't mean you own them, Crimson.  
  
CS: Shut up, you. I can turn you into a frog again.  
  
Rachel: Ribbit.  
  
CS: Don't make m-*Glorfindel whacks her with the hilt of his sword and she falls unconcious*  
  
Rachel: You're going to pay for that when she wakes up.  
  
Glorfindel: I know. But anything she does is more than made up for by the immense satisfaction that gave me.  
  
Rachel: Hmm. If you say so.  
  
Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Hugh Jackman: Crimson Starlight owns absolutely NOTHING.  
  
-37: Silence-  
  
The second day of Glorfindel and my's journey, I tried again to get him to talk, but again, got no response, even when I prodded him with a stick. The day after that, I started braiding Aratelpe's mane - using three individual hairs per braid - out of boredom. Glorfindel gave me a strange look, but other than that, there was no response. The third day out, I started humming 'I am slowly going crazy' as I braided. Non-stop. All day. Even when we set up camp.  
  
"Would you please stop humming?" Glorfindel finally asked in annoyance shortly after we finished supper, when I started humming again (having stopped to eat).  
  
"I'll stop humming when you decide to talk." I replied. Glorfindel shot me a weary look.  
  
"Hum then. I care not." he said, and promptly stood up and disappeared into the trees. I didn't see him until the next morning when it was time to break camp. I took the hint and stopped bugging him, though it saddened me that he was refusing to talk to me. Really, I couldn't understand what he was so upset about.  
  
As I said, though, I took the hint and stopped trying to get him to talk. And anyways, over the next few days, once 'This Is The Song That Never Ends' drove ME insane, and I got bored of singing 'I Know A Song That Gets On Everybody's Nerves', Glorfindel did start to talk a bit more. Not much - no conversation, really, but he said more than a dozen words to me each day. Which sounds really really pathetic - but before he had barely been saying much more than 'wake up', 'time to go', and 'we will camp here'.  
  
On our ninth day out, though, things changed. When we rose in the morning, we found a large, black, roiling storm on the horizon in the east, headed straight for us and getting closer by the second. There was no question that it would run into us before evening, even if we went south as fast as we could for the entire day. And then, to make matters worse, Glorfindel announced when we stopped for lunch that it was a snowstorm.  
  
"Great. Snow. I hate snow." I grumbled. Glorfindel shot me a weary look, and then we mounted up on our horses again and set off southwards. It was around mid-afternoon when Glorfindel abruptly wheeled Asfaloth around so that he was now heading east - into the storm. Surprised, it took me a few moments to correct Aratelpe's direction, and then I galloped to catch up to Glorfindel.  
  
"Why the change in direction?" I asked curiously.  
  
"The storm is fast. We will not be able to reach the other shelter I had planned to make for." Glorfindel replied.  
  
"So where are we going now?" I asked.  
  
"Rebuilt ruins in Eregion." Glorfindel said, and cast an amused glance my way. The irony was not lost on me, and I chuckled.  
  
"Time to see home, then." I said with a wicked grin. There was no response from Glorfindel, but I got the feeling that he was as amused by the situation as I was.  
  
It turned out the snowstorm - or more appropriately, blizzard - was even faster than Glorfindel had thought (the second time around). It hit us in the late afternoon, before the ruins we were aiming for came in sight. At least of me - Glorfindel seemed to have spotted them awhile ago, as he'd made a minor course correction not long ago and had been going in as straight a line as possible since. I had to hope that he could keep that direction even in the storm, because as we went, it just got worse. The snow whipped around us, going at every angle, the wind howled, and even with my Elvish ability to adjust to the temperature, I was starting to feel a little chilly. Visibility, even for Elvish eyes, was down to about ten feet, with snow drifts forming and disappearing right before our eyes. Before it got even close to those conditions, though, I had grabbed onto Glorfindel's cape and was determinedly not letting go as he lead the way through the snow.  
  
Glorfindel, it seemed, had an excellent sense of direction, as after what seemed like hours - but was probably only one hour, if that - a large building reared up out of the snow in front of us. The horses snorted in surprise - Glorfindel just nodded in satisfaction. He rode up to the building - me following closely - and inspected it carefully. I wondered why he was even bothering - any shelter was good shelter at this point - and then were rounded a corner and found that an entire side had fallen in, and the building was a haven for snow, wind, and mini-whirlwinds. We moved on.  
  
We inspected two more buildings and found them in as bad condition as the first one, then, finally, Glorfindel found the building he was looking for. He dismounted from Asfaloth, pulling his cape out of my grasp, and pushed the door of the building open and led the horse in behind him without so much as a glance in my direction. Slightly annoyed, I followed him inside.  
  
It was dark inside, but not too dark for Elvish eyes, and I quickly looked around. There were two rooms inside the building, I found, separated by a rough wooden door. The front room had the door to the outside, and a window which was shuttered on the inside. There were rough stalls, made out of a few stones and some wood, to one side of the front room, and Glorfindel was settling Asfaloth in one of them. Taking the hint, I put Aratelpe in another, and then headed for the back room.  
  
The back room was mainly just one large hall. The roof looked to be a good fifteen feet high, and there was a huge fireplace on one wall, with a stack of firewood as high as me to one side. Other than that, the place was empty - and slightly eerie. I shivered slightly as I looked around, then went to the fireplace and beat Glorfindel to making a fire. He made no comment as he set down his pack and set out his bedroll. Once I had the fire going, I silently followed his example - even if the blizzard did let up before nightfall, which was unlikely, there would be no point in moving on.  
  
"How long do you think it will last?" I asked him once we were both settled and staring at the fire.  
  
"Into tomorrow." Glorfindel replied, there being no need to ask what 'it' was. The blizzard could be heard howling outside even through the stone walls. I nodded, and we continued to stare at the fire in silence. Eventually, the silence because too much for me, and I stood and went out into the front room.  
  
I hit a blast of cold air when I entered the room, and glanced around. I spotted the window, with its shutters blown open, one hanging crookedly and obviously broken. I stared at it in a moment in shock, wondering how we hadn't heard it, and then a soft whicker brought my attention to the horses.  
  
The poor things were freezing, standing nose-to-tail, as close at they could get with the rough stall wall between them. I glanced at the window, then at the horses. I went and grabbed the horses and lead them into the other room, where, while they shied away from the fire, they certainly looked warmer. Glorfindel looked up as I shut the door and arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Shutters on the window are broken." I said.  
  
"Then fix them." he said.  
  
"I am a stablehand, a waitress, a seamstress's assistant, and many other things, but not a carpenter or stonemason." I replied promptly, then returned to my bedroll and sat on it. Glorfindel sighed and got up and left the room. A few minutes later, he returned and sat down with an annoyed-sounding noise.  
  
"Neither am I." was all he said, and I resisted the urge to chuckle.  
  
After a few minutes of staring into the fire, I remembered the reason I'd gone out into the front room in the first place, and went over to Aratelpe where she stood by Asfaloth, looking infinitely warmer, but rather shaggy. The shagginess was something I intended to fix. After surveying her for a few short moments, I returned to my pack and found some of the horse grooming supplies I'd packed on a lark. Glorfindel had informed me that we would not have time for such things on the journey, but I'd ignored him, and was glad now. I resisted the urge to smirk, however, when I felt his eyes on me as I returned to Aratelpe and began to give her coat and mane and good brushing down.  
  
Once I was done with Aratelpe, I turned back to the fire and found Glorfindel beginning to prepare a meal. I went to head back to the fire, but then Asfaloth nudged me with his nose and gave me the most piteous look. I couldn't help but turn and start to do the same to him as I'd done to Aratelpe. By the time I was finished, a very aromatic smell was wafting over from the fireplace, and Asfaloth was prancing in place. That made me smile slightly until I realized he was eyeing Aratelpe.  
  
"Don't even think it." I said, narrowing my eyes at the horse, and whacked his shoulder. He whickered in surprise, and I glared at him. He gave a horse equivalent of a sigh, and let his head droop. A few moments later, he glanced up at me, and I smacked my forehead in exasperation before stomping off to the fire.  
  
"I swear your horse and Elladan exchange notes." I announced as I sat down. Glorfindel arched an eyebrow in my direction, but did not comment as he went back to what he was cooking. A few moments later, he announced it done, and we ate in silence. I was actually rather surprised at how good the meal tasted - up until now, as the female on the trip, I had been delegated to cooking supper, so this was the first time I had tasted Glorfindel's cooking. I supposed he had to be a good cook, though, if he traveled anywhere by himself - after all, he'd have to eat his own cooking, right?  
  
That got me wondering if all the men in Middle-Earth that were soldiers were good cooks, and pondering that possibility kept me occupied for a good half an hour. I had to stop when I remembered Kari's cooking skills and almost burst into laughter at the thought of what Elrohir's expression must have been when he found out. While normally I'm not against spontaneous laughter, it had its place, and stuck in a deserted ruin with Glorfindel - who wasn't talking to me - wasn't one of those places.  
  
Of course, that was when the light bulb turned on inside my head. Glorfindel and I were trapped inside a building, with a blizzard outside, and there was no place Glorfindel could go to escape me unless he wanted to freeze his tush off in the outer room. I grinned wickedly and turned to Glorfindel, but what I had to say died in my throat as I saw his expression. He was staring into the fire, looking as if his mind was miles away, with sadness written all over his face.  
  
I suddenly recalled what had happened and been talked about that night not-so-long-ago before I'd had the Dorwinnian wine. How I'd found Glorfindel in a tree, by himself, singing the lament for his death. How he'd said that he was always cheery when drunk except when certain topics were brought up. How he never really answered my question about why he was out there - he'd given the excuse of the Ringwraiths bringing up bad memories, but I found it hard to believe that, even for an Elf, memories could be that painful after over several thousand years. And for the first time, I stopped and really started to think about that night.  
  
Oh sure, I'd thought about it before, but I'd never...REALLY thought about it, if you get what I mean. I'd gone over the surface of it, and mostly the surface of the latter half of the night, but never any deeper. I looked into the fire, letting my mind wander back, the amused thought floating through my head as I settled into deeper thoughts that I must be taking on an eerie resemblance to Glorfindel, except with thoughtfulness instead of sadness.  
  
I don't know how long I sat there, picking the evening apart, nor did I notice when Glorfindel finally moved himself to his bedroll and stretched out for sleep. When I did finally come out of my thoughts, however, I found the fire dieing, the horses drowsing in their corner, and the third toe on my left foot was itchy. I scratched my toe, added a few more pieces of wood to the fire, and then curled up on my blankets, looking over at Glorfindel as he slept.  
  
I had come to the conclusion, during my thinking, that there was something vital about that whole past evening that I was missing. It was like a puzzle where there was one piece that was missing, and that one piece was all that was keeping you from seeing the whole picture. But I had a feeling that I knew what that picture was, and it was not one I was happy with. Or rather, I corrected myself, I was happy with it, but it was one my head told me was not good. It was like when I was a child, and I did something I knew was wrong - my head said I shouldn't be doing it, but my heart was saying 'whee, this is fun!'. Only it wasn't doing, but purely feeling this time.  
  
With a small sigh, I closed my eyes for a moment, clearing my thoughts, then opened them and unfocused them in the way I knew would cause me to be asleep in a few minutes. I had done enough thinking for tonight, and would only be going around in circles, anyways, until I got some answers.  
  
----To be continued...with a rant!----  
(A good rant always makes everything better...)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
My sister is officially my hero. She got me Pirates of the Caribbean for Christmas. :) Which I've now watched two times in as many days. And I'm trying very hard not to make it three times in as many days.  
  
Anywho, big thank-yous to all my reviewers, who have finally helped me reach that coveted 500-review mark. And pass it spectacularly...I've always wanted to pass 500 reviews. Could never seem to make it, though. I did now, however, thanks to all you lovely people who didn't just read, but reviewed! Y'all get...hmm...how about an authentic Elvish horse and sword? And an Elvish rulers tiara/crown/headband thingy of your choice.  
  
Now I'm off to bug my dad some MORE about going to see RotK...and try and get my grandma on my side, too.  
~Crimson Starlight 


	38. Trapped

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own nothing. Not even Glorfindel at the moment...I think Rachel's laid claim to him.  
  
Rachel: Hey, he's tied to a tree naked. Why WOULDN'T I lay claim to him?  
  
CS: Hmm, point. But do remember he's not supposed to be enjoying it.  
  
Rachel: *evil grin* Oh don't worry, he's not.  
  
CS: ...my characters are so evil. *shakes head*  
  
Rachel: We take after our creator.  
  
CS: No, I'm just crazy, not evil.  
  
Rachel: *shrugs* Close enough.  
  
Morgoth: No it's not.  
  
CS, Rachel, and the rest of the cast of TGotG: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!  
  
Manwë: Bad Morgoth, back to the void! *bops Morgoth*  
  
Morgoth: Ow! *goes back to the void that he was banished to*  
  
CS: DAMMIT, Valar are hereby banned from my disclaimers!  
  
Manwë: You can't do that!  
  
CS: Watch me.  
  
Manwë: --- ----- -- -------- -- --...  
  
All Valar: ...!!!!!!!!!  
  
CS: *smirk*  
  
-38: Trapped-  
-LANGUAGE WARNING: Rachel has a dirty mouth.-  
  
In the morning, I woke when a tongue of cold air sneaked down into my blankets. My eyes snapped into focus, and I propped myself up onto one elbow and glanced around. I quickly found the source of the draft.  
  
"GLORFINDEL! Close the fucking door!" I yelled across the hall, pissed off from being woken up when I wasn't ready, and by cold, no less. The horses, which had been sleeping, started awake at my voice. Glorfindel's head appeared in the doorway just long enough for him to roll his eyes, and then he disappeared again. Growling, I stood up, wrapped my blankets around me, and stomped over to the door, intending to close it. When I reached the outer room, however, I stopped in shock. There was a HUGE snowdrift coming in from the outside door - which had apparently come open during the night - as well as from the window. They were both completely blocked. Some disturbances in the snow showed that Glorfindel had tried to dig his way to some free air or light, but apparently he'd had no luck.  
  
"Tell me we aren't snowed in." I groaned, absently noting that Glorfindel had made a torch somehow and stuck it in the snowbank that was spilling in from the window.  
  
"We are snowed in." Glorfindel said, the smirk clear in his voice.  
  
"I said don't, fudgehead." I retorted, sticking my tongue out at him.  
  
"Also, I believe the blizzard is still going on." Glorfindel said impassively.  
  
"You are fucking kidding me." I groaned. "This much snow and it's STILL going on?!"  
  
"This is most likely just a drift against this side of the building, and I could just be hearing wind." Glorfindel said with a shrug of his shoulders. I paused, and in the silence, the whistling and howling of the wind - which I had pushed out of my mind last night - became audible.  
  
"Oh just fucking great. I finally decide to go to Lothlorien and sort out all my little problems and I get hit with a FUCKING BLIZZARD!" I ranted. That was just the beginning; I went on for a good five or ten more minutes, cursing the Valar, the world, and anything else I could think of that could be responsible for this. "Probably Elrond and Galadriel messing with their bloody rings." I ended in a growl as I plunked down on the floor. Glorfindel didn't even look surprised at the fact that I knew Elrond and Galadriel had rings, and instead, just looked at me in amusement.  
  
"I doubt it." he said. "I doubt this blizzard was intentionally started to stop you, as well. Middle-Earth does not revolve around you." I shot him an acid look.  
  
"I know that, dickhead." I replied icily. "I don't complain about weather because I think it was sent specifically to torture me. I complain about weather because it makes me feel better when the weather gets in my way, and because it is something to vent my frustration on that cannot get offended and cause problems for me later. Though knowing my fucking luck, whichever one of those stupid Valar is in charge of the weather heard my rant and is getting ready to smite me." I ended in a grumble. There was a pause as I glared at the snowdrift in front of me, and then suddenly Glorfindel appeared in my vision and crouched down in front of me.  
  
"Are you done?" he asked calmly.  
  
"Maybe." I replied sulkily.  
  
"Then shall we go have some breakfast?" Glorfindel asked. He waited until I nodded, then stood up, grabbed the torch, and went back into the main room. After he left, I stood slowly and stared at the door he had just disappeared through. I wondered, as I watched that door, how he'd known exactly what to do. My outburst, I knew, was nothing more than a byproduct of stress, worry and frustration, and really didn't mean anything. But how had Glorfindel known that, and knowing that, know that he could safely ignore the outburst? Yes, I had said it was a way to vent my frustration - but honestly? Nobody had ever picked up on that before. With a shrug, I decided that it was Elvish perception picked up after several thousand years of living, and went into the other room.  
  
Asfaloth and Aratelpe were asleep again, and Glorfindel was, once again, setting about preparing breakfast. I plopped down onto the spot where my bedroll had been before I dragged it with me, and watched as he made breakfast.  
  
"There really should be two exits to this building." I commented finally.  
  
"Circumstances dictated against it." Glorfindel said shortly, and I blinked at him.  
  
"Stop with the big words. I can't understand them before noon." I replied. Glorfindel arched an eyebrow, but made no comment, and I scowled at him. I stood, grabbed the now un-lit torch from where it rested beside the fireplace, lit it, and went back into the outer room, curtly telling Glorfindel to call me when the food was ready. In the front room, out of boredom, I walked around on top of the snow for a bit - 800 years had not dimmed my glee at being able to do that, even if I hadn't been able to do it often without the risk of giving away that I was an elf. Then I started digging upwards from the door.  
  
I was covered in snow, with my clothes damp and frozen in different parts, before I finally found no more snow beyond my hands. I peered up the small, hand-shaped hole I'd made...and caught just a glimpse of blowing snow and darkness beyond before a mini-avalanche buried my head in snow. Cursing, I pulled back. I glared at the pile of snow that had so recently covered my head, and then stalked back into the main room.  
  
"Blizzard's still going on." I announced as I returned and sat down by the fireplace, snuffing the torch and putting it back where I had found it.  
  
"And it has moved inside?" Glorfindel asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Dickhead." I grumbled at him, and Glorfindel went back to dealing with breakfast. It turned out I had returned at just the right time, as breakfast was ready a few moments later, and we ate in silence. When we were done, Glorfindel disappeared into the outer room, and I snickered as he returned about half an hour later with a healthy dusting of snow. He ignored me and sat down as close to the fire as he could so his clothes would dry.  
  
This was, I realized as I sat there staring into the fire, going to be a very boring day if Glorfindel continued to refuse to talk to me and we couldn't get out without burying ourselves in snow. I could probably find various things to amuse me - I mean, there was a huge pile of snow literally on the doorstep. I could make a whole ton of snowballs, or build a snowfort...or build a snow-Glorfindel and take extreme pleasure in whacking it to pieces. Or I could solve this little problem like I had intended to at the beginning of the trip and then have a Glorfindel to talk to and NOT have to go freeze my butt off in the snow.  
  
There was just one problem with that, I knew, as I glanced over at Glorfindel where he sat, apparently deep in thought, drying in front of the fire. My previous attempts at getting Glorfindel to talk about anything, let alone about what was the problem, had failed miserably. I had to find a way to get him to talk about it - and as I thought about it, and remembered my thoughts from the night before, I came up with an idea. Why entice him to talk about it before talking about it? Why not just start right in on the conversation? And the topic of that conversation could be the one that would find the last piece of the puzzle...  
  
"Glory?" I asked, still staring into the fire.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Was it just the wine on your part?" Silence reigned for such a long time that I wondered if he was even going to respond. I was just about to look over at him to see if he was going to answer when the answer came, so low that I barely caught it.  
  
"No." Yep, there was the final piece of the puzzle. I felt like whacking myself over the head for not having figured it out before - but I hadn't looked closely at that night until last night, and that had only given me suspicions. Now, the question was, what to do about it? Or even better, what did I want to happen? Because before I decided what to do about it, I needed to figure out what I wanted in the end.  
  
I glanced over at Glorfindel, deep in thought, and wondered if maybe this was just a passing fancy on his part. Just about everyone had romantic relationships of some type before they got married, even in the medieval-like society of Middle-Earth. So were his feelings serious, or passing? And did I care one way or another? I was startled to realize I did - I wanted them to be serious.  
  
I felt like scratching my head in confusion at that revelation. Sometimes I really surprised myself, and this was one of those times. When, in the less than a month (total, since I'd arrived in Middle-Earth) that I'd known Glorfindel, had I developed this strong liking for him? Not before I'd left Rivendell the first time. I had barely thought of Glorfindel over the 800 intervening years, and then only in the same way that I'd thought of everyone else in Rivendell - slightly sadly, and curiously as I wondered what they were doing. So it was a recent thing then...  
  
Somehow, that made it worse. I didn't believe in love at first sight, even before I came to Middle-Earth. This wasn't love, though - not yet, though in another startling flash of insight, I realized it could become that rather easily. I glanced over at Glorfindel again and frowned. This was just...confusing.  
  
And then there was the Mary-Sue Factor.  
  
The instant that popped into my head, I wanted to whack my head against a wall at my stupidity. For bringing it up, or for not recognizing this as a perfect Mary-Sue setting, I wasn't sure which. All I knew was that I suddenly wished that Glorfindel was just some normal guy at home, I had never come to Middle-Earth, and I didn't have to worry about such things.  
  
There, of course, was my answer, though I didn't realize it until after I spent a few minutes fuming. In my head, and my heart, I knew that, without a doubt, if this had been earth, and Glorfindel some normal guy who I'd met there, I wouldn't have even hesitated. But this wasn't earth, and this was Glorfindel, and the only thing that truly made the two different was this Mary-Sue Factor that I insisted on believing in.  
  
I suddenly wished I'd taken Gandalf up on his offer to take me to Valinor and have Manwë reassure me that there was no such thing as the Mary-Sue Factor.  
  
"Rachel?" Glorfindel's voice interrupted my thoughts, and I looked over at him to find him looking at me thoughtfully.  
  
"What?" I asked.  
  
"On your part - was it just the fear of becoming a 'Mary-Sue'?" he asked. I paused. Partially to think, and partially not to burst out laughing. Somehow, the term 'Mary-Sue' just did not belong in a serious conversation...for the second time that day, I felt like banging my head against a wall again due to my thoughts.  
  
"Yes, and that is a fucking stupid fear." I stated. Glorfindel looked at me in surprise and confusion. "Mary-Sue's are, usually, the creations of teenagers far too obsessed with celebrities that they will most likely never meet. So I have been mortally afraid, for the past 800 YEARS, of an obsessed teenager's bad-grammared creation." There was a pause, and then, lo and behold, Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"When you put it that way..." he mused after a few moments.  
  
"Sounds very silly, I know." I said with a snort. "I must say, I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, but this is the worst. Next to dancing in the rain." I paused. "Well, that was actually kind of advantageous. At least the last time."  
  
"So you've finally decided that coming here was a good thing?" Glorfindel asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Hell yeah. I've always wanted to come to Middle-Earth." I exclaimed, and frowned thoughtfully, "Mostly to find out if various people are ticklish." Glorfindel blinked.  
  
"Really now." he said, and I nodded.  
  
"Tell me, do you know if Elrond's ticklish?" I asked.  
  
"Not that I know of." Glorfindel said, giving me a strange look.  
  
"Drat. I've wanted to know ever since I first saw the scene in the...play about the Council." I said with disappointment, still hesitating slightly over saying 'play' instead of 'movie'.  
  
"I'm sure you'll have the opportunity to ask him later." Glorfindel said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Ack, why the heck would I ASK him? That's just too odd." I said, making a face. "I'll ask Elladan or Elrohir next time I see them. Or Arwen. Or Celebrían, if it comes down to that. One of them has GOT to know." Glorfindel shook his head at me.  
  
"You are strange." he said.  
  
"You wouldn't have me any other way." I replied with a grin, and Glorfindel chuckled, but declined to comment otherwise.  
  
----To be continued...with snowforts!----  
(And other fun stuff!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Wasn't that fun? But not half as fun as what's coming up, I assure you. Warning to reviewers: watching Pirates of the Caribbean, and then listening to the soundtrack nonstop, and then drinking pepsi while browsing around the Theban Band slashart site makes for very weird moods. And dreams. Like the one I had last night, where a giant muffin ate Elrond, took over Rivendell, and improved relations with Mirkwood after making Galadriel think she was a bunny...Then there was that one (almost qualifies as a nightmare) where I friend who has moved away suddenly popped up for a visit and started correcting my grammar. *ahem* Yes. I'm going to see RotK in...an hour and a half! GO ME!  
  
And do I even need to say thank-you to all my reviewers here? Because y'all know how much I appreciate you - a whole flipping lot. You seriously keep me going on this story during some of the hard parts. Look at the one PotC FanFic I started to write - it died a natural death after two days and 14 hand-written pages. Mind you, it was written in a strange cipher I made up, and really had no plot other than getting Jack Sparrow called 'Theodore' at some point...YES I AM INSANE.  
  
Which reminds me. I put this FanFiction - in its entirety - into Word the other day (I write FanFiction in Notepad) and guess how long it was? *248 pages* - over 125,000 words. You know how many original stories I've written that have reached that length? NONE. O.o I'm seriously scaring myself here...  
  
Right, I'm off now. Lunch needs to be eaten, pepsi needs to be drunk, and RotK needs to be watched...(heh, almost typed 'washed'....silly pepsi. *giggle*)  
~Crimson Starlight  
  
YES PEPSI HAS STRANGE EFFECTS ON ME. 


	39. Bedrolls

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
  
The disclaimer this chapter has been cancelled to to excesive fangirl-type screaming over Legolas at the end of Return of the King. Go to previous chapters to find a disclaimer. Thank you, and have a nice chapter.  
  
-39: Bedrolls-  
  
It was amazing how easy it became to talk to Glorfindel after that. It was like those two questions, and one statement from me, had cleared the air between us. Mostly. There was still that touch of tension and hesitation that only time would be able to wear down. But we were Elves. We had the time to let time wear that last little bit down.  
  
We had lunch when our stomachs began to growl at us - not being able to see the sun to see when it was actually noon - and then we started seriously considering a way to get out of the building, as Asfaloth and Aratelpe were looking rather interested in Glorfindel's nice, golden-coloured hair (I supposed it looked somewhat like food). While the thought of the horses trying to eat Glorfindel's hair DID make me grin, I went out into the outer room and helped Glorfindel as he started to seriously try and dig a way out. Since only one person could get near the door to do the digging, though, I was mostly just standing back and making sure Glorfindel didn't bury himself in the snow of his diggings.  
  
Eventually, I got bored, and after humming random tunes, I decided to build a snow fort on the other side of the room. So I started carting snow over there, rolling it into balls, packing it together, doing whatever worked. By the next time Glorfindel thought to turn around to see how I was doing, I had gotten the walls - alright, wall, singular; I was cheating and using three of the rooms normal walls - a foot or so high.  
  
"What ARE you doing?" Glorfindel asked in surprise when he saw.  
  
"Building a snow fort." I replied promptly.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I'm bored, and it uses snow that you need moved out of the way." I answered.  
  
"Oh." was Glorfindel's reply, and then he went back to digging. I continued with my wall-building.  
  
Of course, it wasn't until the wall reached around two and a half feet in height that I realized I'd forgotten a door. Muttering, I carefully carved out a section of the wall and placed it elsewhere on the wall so that there was now an opening next to the inner wall of the room. When Glorfindel finally decided to stop his digging, the walls of my snow fort were four feet high, and had been at that height for the past hour or so while I shored up weak spots. Stepping back towards the door to the inner room, holding the torch, Glorfindel glanced between first my snow fort, and then the evidences of his diggings, and the multiple avalanches they had caused, at the door.  
  
"Somehow, you seem to have achieved more, even if it is relatively useless." Glorfindel said, tilting his head to one side.  
  
"Ah, that's because mine looks bigger." I said with a nod. "Same volume of snow, different shape - and larger surface area." Glorfindel blinked at me, obviously taking a few moments to understand what I'd said, then shrugged and turned back into the main room, forcing me to follow him or be without light.  
  
Once back in the main room, we found that Aratelpe had decided to munch on my bedroll. Asfaloth seemed to be eyeing it, as well. I glanced at Glorfindel, then at my now thoroughly horse-spit-soaked bedroll.  
  
"Why didn't she take yours?" I asked, that being the first thought in my head. There was a short pause, and then Glorfindel burst out laughing. I turned to him curiously. "What? It's a reasonable question! Yours is closer, and bigger. Not to mention more green. Why did she take MINE?"  
  
"Because you are her rider?" Glorfindel asked, trying to stifle his laughter, but not really succeeding. I paused.  
  
"Hmm, I suppose that makes sense." I said, and only then went over and rescued my bedroll from Aratelpe. With a sigh, I held it up and looked at all the tooth-sized holes that were now sprinkled across it. I scowled at Aratelpe, who wisely shrunk behind Asfaloth.  
  
"I'm using your bedroll tonight." I informed a still chuckling Glorfindel as I stalked over to the fire.  
  
"Mine?" Glorfindel asked, stopping laughing abruptly, and I nodded. "And what if I want to use it?"  
  
"Then use it." I replied with a shrug. "All I know is that I am not sleeping in THAT -" I pointed to my ruined bedroll where it was now steaming in front of the fire, "and I am not sleeping without blankets or on the floor." Glorfindel blinked at me. "I'm sure you've done worse than sleep without a bedroll." I said, arching an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Yes, but not when I still HAD my bedroll." he replied.  
  
"Ah, but you don't." I said cheerfully.  
  
"I do." Glorfindel said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Wanna bet on that?" I asked, grinning evilly.  
  
"No, because I know that it is MY bedroll, and therefore, I will sleep on it tonight. You can either see if you can fit on it with me, or use cloaks to make an alternate bedroll." Glorfindel replied promptly.  
  
"Blerg, whatever happened to chivalry around here?" I wondered out loud, wrinkling my nose.  
  
"You." Glorfindel replied promptly.  
  
"Ah. Right." I responded, looking thoughtful, and then I brightened considerably. "Well, how's this then? Let me have your bedroll tonight, or you won't get a moments sleep!"  
  
"Oh?" Glorfindel asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"I have now qualms whatsoever with tearing apart my afternoons work." I replied innocently. Glorfindel eyed me, as if wondering if I was serious, and then shook his head.  
  
"Fine then." he said, and turned and left the room. I looked after him for a moment, wondering if I'd offended him. He hadn't sounded too annoyed though. Maybe he was indulging in a little childish revenge and kicking down my snowfort? I smiled with amusement at that thought and turned back to the fire, expecting Glorfindel to return soon.  
  
Around half an hour later, Glorfindel had still not returned, and, now concerned, I got up and went into the outer room. My mistake. The instant I opened the door, a snowball hit me smack in the face. I brushed the snow off and stared at Glorfindel incredulously as he stood in my snowfort, grinning, and casually tossing another snowball from hand to hand.  
  
"You are so dead." I growled, and dived towards the snowpile by the door, even as Glorfindel chucked the snowball he had been holding at me. It missed, but soon another one was flying my way, and I had to twist to one side to avoid it. I ended up losing my balance and landing in the door snowdrift, which proved advantageous, as not only did that give me snow to toss back at Glorfindel, but some cover, as well.  
  
Within moments, there was a full-fledged snowball fight going on, snow whizzing through the air. Glorfindel, while he had had half an hour to build up a supply of snowballs, was without a source of snow within the snowfort, and soon resorted to tossing bits of the walls at me.  
  
"That took all afternoon to make!" I yelled at him when I noticed.  
  
"You were ready to tear it down not long ago!" Glorfindel shot back.  
  
"Only to stuff down your shirt!" I replied, and when Glorfindel appeared above the wall to yell a reply, I pelted him with a rather large snowball. It hit him with a satisfying SMACK, and with a muffled yell, Glorfindel toppled over backwards. For a short time after that, there little movement visible behind the walls of the snowfort, and I watched with suspicion, wondering what he was up to. The answer came when, abruptly, a whole section of the wall - near the door - came loose and was heaved in my direction. With a yelp, I ducked, but the size of the chunk of snow sent snow spraying everywhere, sending several pieces down my shirt and giving me a liberal white dusting. I froze for a moment, then growled and stood up.  
  
"Time to end this." I muttered, and dashed over to the fort. I didn't go for the door - when you're dealing with a snow fort that wasn't employing ice to stay up, why bother? I ran straight into the wall, and it collapsed in front of me. I shook my head to get the snow out of my eyes, and then looked around and found Glorfindel looking at me in surprise. I grinned evilly, grabbed a large chunk of the snow that had just recently made up the wall, and before Glorfindel could react, dashed over to him and stuffed it down his shirt.  
  
I watched in satisfaction as he yelped and pranced around, futilely trying to get the cold snow out. Eventually, he gave up - not only had he realized it was useless, but the snow had all melted. Instead, he glared daggers at me for a moment before grabbing his own hunk of snow and making straight for me. With a yelp, I dashed out the hole I'd made, and we had great fun running around in circles for awhile before I finally had the bright idea to dash into the main room. Glorfindel followed me, and we repeated the run-in-circles routine, despite the odd looks the horses were giving us.  
  
Of course, it was during one of these circuits that, as I hid behind Asfaloth, I realized the horses were chewing on something again. Curious, I tried to get a look at it, but at that moment, I was abruptly put in deadly danger of having snow stuffed down my shirt, so I took off. This time, though, I made my way around to running by the fire so I could do a quick inventory of our stuff. When I saw what was missing, I stopped running and collapsed onto the floor in laughter.  
  
Glorfindel screeched to a stop beside me, and looked down at me curiously, holding the snow in one hand. Wordlessly, I pointed towards Asfaloth as I continued to laugh. Glorfindel glanced over, and his expression instantly shifted to annoyed. Then he heaved the block of snow he was holding - directly at Asfaloth. The horse started as the snow hit it, whickering in surprise, and then cantered over to the other far corner of the room, Aratelpe following, leaving Glorfindel's bed roll in a wet, snowy heap on the floor.  
  
I was still laughing as Glorfindel stomped over to the bedroll and picked it up, sighing as he saw that it was in the same condition as mine.  
  
"Remind me never to room with horses again...especially hungry ones!" I gasped out as Glorfindel spread his bedroll out close to the fire, as well.  
  
"I will. Believe me, I will." Glorfindel grumbled, and I laughed harder. Eventually, I had to stop laughing, as my rib cage was hurting, but despite the fact that my cheeks hurt like hell, I couldn't stop grinning, even when Glorfindel informed me that this was my fault, and therefore I was going to make supper. By the time supper was done and we had eaten, though, I had finally settled down, and was now just staring into the fire, chuckling every once and awhile.  
  
"It is not THAT funny." Glorfindel finally said.  
  
"Yes. Yes it is." I said with a snicker.  
  
"No, it is not. What are you going to sleep on tonight?" Glorfindel asked, arching an eyebrow. I looked at him for a moment, trying desperately to resist the saying the retort on the tip of my tongue, but in the end, I failed.  
  
"You." I said, then grinned as Glorfindel abruptly coughed and looked at me in utter shock - and, somewhat, horror. I snickered evilly. "My cloak, doink. What else?" Glorfindel rolled his eyes at that. Silence reigned for awhile, but in my mood, I couldn't stay silent and still at the same time, so I soon stood and began walking around, humming a tune under my breath.  
  
----To be continued...with the March of the Highguard!----  
  
(And white Christmas's...)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
  
Tip: When going to a noon showing of Return of the King, at least have breakfast before you go, if not lunch. Do not simply go with a stomach full of nothing but a glass of Pepsi and a hard candy. O.o I did. I kept being afraid that my stomach would growl during one of the quiet parts. Other than that, my comments on RotK are: LEGOLAS IS MINE! *grabs him and ties him up in her basement* Hot elf...*twitchspasm* I'd go for Aragorn, too - or even Faramir - but Arwen and Eowyn are both pretty handy with a sword...so I'll just settle for Pippin. I've never liked hobbits all that much, but I gained some appreciation during RotK. He's so cute! *snuggles Pippin*  
  
Yeah. Also, I had the most interesting New Years Eve. After almost falling asleep watching the Two Towers (from lack of sexy elves), I watched Dogma, and then, at 3 in the morning, turned on the computer...and wrote on this fanfic. Strangest thing ever. Normally when I'm tired, I can't write a thing. But I rambled away like mad until 5 AM. Then, as I wandered to bed, it occurred to me that I really have no idea why this fanfiction is called 'The Games of the Gods'. I think it had something to do with the plot at one point, but in true me style, my plot has changed so much from its original path that the title no longer has any meaning. If it wasn't for the fact that it would be a heckuva lot of trouble to change the title in all the chapters I've uploaded, I would probably re-name this fic and re-upload all the chapters...  
  
Now I'm off and hunting for some good Gil-Galad FanFictions...I don't know why, but with that little snippet of the poem about his fall that Sam sings in FotR stuck in my head, I am expieriencing a strange momentary obsession with him. Even have him on my desktop...purrrrrdy!  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	40. Songs

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own nothing.  
  
...  
  
Rachel: I reiterate from a few chapters ago, you can have the most boring disclaimers.  
  
CS: Well, if I want to get this chapter spell-checked and posted before I have to go to school, I don't have time for a long disclaimer...  
  
Glorfindel: Y'know, I think that's the longest speech anyone has ever given in a disclaimer.  
  
CS: Naw, I think Elrond outdid it.  
  
Rachel: As did Glorfindel at one point...  
  
CS: Erestor, too, I think, it his one appearance...  
  
Rachel: Hmm, I'm sensing a pattern to the long-winded disclaimers...  
  
Glorfindel: I can be a lot shorter in my answers. *idly plays with sword*  
  
CS: I'm sure you ca - AH! Balrog!  
  
Glorfindel: Where?!  
  
CS: *points behind Glorfindel*  
  
Glorfindel: *runs in the opposite direction*  
  
CS: *smirk*  
  
Balrog: ROAR!  
  
CS: Uh...  
  
Rachel: Author's word is reality...  
  
CS: Crap. No Balrog!  
  
Balrog: ROAR!  
  
CS: (to Rachel) Run.  
  
Rachel: *running* Way ahead of you.  
  
-40: Songs-  
  
"Are you going to actually sing anything?" Glorfindel asked me about an hour later.  
  
"Maybe." I replied, tilting my head to one side as I looked over at him where he was now lying flat on his back, hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. It was actually quite a sexy pose, especially considering there was only firelight, and his tunic was still wet enough from having snow dumped in it that it clung to him chest somewhat. Unbidden, the thought of what Glorfindel would look like without his shirt on popped into my head.  
  
I twitched, trying not to drool too much at the thought, and turned my attention back to the wall I had been looking at before Glorfindel had spoken. I stared absently at the stones making the wall, thinking about what song I could sing. Because, truthfully, singing would be just about the only thing that would get that mental image of a shirtless Glorfindel out of my head. Finally, with a grin, I settled on a short anthem that was actually rather apt, considering the outside events of the world.  
  
"Heaven burns, the stars are falling  
As the enemy draws nigh.  
Sound the call, fleet and lancers,   
"Commonwealth" our battle cry.   
Face the foe, never waver,   
Summon fire from the sky.   
From a million sovereign planets   
Scattered through the endless night.   
Bound by blood and High Guard honor,  
Hold the line until the light.   
Hold the line against the night." I sang, starting quietly at first, then getting a little louder as I became sure of the tune. I'd never actually heard the song SUNG, but I'd heard the tune, and then found the lyrics. To be honest, I was surprised I remembered it all - it was from a TV show, things that I had long since pushed out of my mind as irrelevant to Middle-Earth.  
  
"What was that song about?" Glorfindel asked, pulling me out of my internal congratulations, and only then did I remember that he wouldn't be able to understand a word I had sung, since it was in English, not Common.  
  
"Drat, I forgot you wouldn't be able to understand it." I muttered, and then repeated the words, without singing, in the Common tongue. I replaced 'million' with 'hundred', and 'planets' with 'kingdoms', but other than that, kept it the same.  
  
"Apt." Glorfindel commented when I finished. "And has an oddly inspiring feel. Where did it come from?"  
  
"It was written for a...play. It was the anthem for a, well, I guess here it would be viewed as a giant Alliance of various kingdoms of different races." I said with a light frown, trying to explain things in a way Glorfindel would understand. "They were facing off against treachery inside their own Alliance, and an outside power that was really really evil."  
  
"I suppose that is why you chose to sing it?" Glorfindel asked, smiling slightly, and I nodded before remembering that he was looking up at the ceiling and not at me.  
  
"Yep." I replied. There was a silence, and then, to my surprise, Glorfindel began to sing. It took my a moment to realize he was singing in Elvish - Quenya from the sounds of it - and then a moment more to internally turn off my translator. I wanted to listen to what he sang in Elvish, without knowing what the words meant. Fair's fair.  
  
"Ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen,  
Yéni únótimë ve rámar aldaron!  
Yéni ve lintë yuldar avánier  
mi oromardi lisse-miruvóreva  
Andúnë pella, Vardo tellumar  
nu luini yassen tintilar i eleni  
ómaryo airetári-lírinen.  
  
"Sí man i yulma nin enquantuva?  
  
"An sí Tintallë Varda Oiolossëo  
ve fanyar máryat Elentári ortanë  
ar ilyë tier undulávë lumbilë;  
ar sindanóriello caita mornië  
i falmalinnar imbë met, ar hísië  
untúpa Calaciryo míri oialë  
Sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar!  
  
"Namárie! Nai hiruvalyë Valimar.  
Nai elyë hiruva. Namárie!" When Glorfindel finished the song, there was silence for awhile.  
  
"Also apt, considering where we are heading." he said finally.  
  
"Oh? What was it about?" I asked curiously. It sounded vaguely familiar - it had probably been in the books somewhere, though for the life of me, I wouldn't be able to say where. Glorfindel looked at me in surprise and curiosity.  
  
"Gandalf said you spoke Quenya?" he said, though it was more of a question.  
  
"I do, when I let my internal translator thingy let me. But I prefer listening to Elvish songs in Elvish. I can always figure out what they mean later by translating them. And anyways, you didn't understand my song." I replied.  
  
"So why should you understand mine?" Glorfindel filled in the blank dryly, and I nodded. "It is a song of the West. Of Valinor. Galadriel wrote it, I believe. Or at least, she is the first one I heard sing it."  
  
"Sounds sad." I commented. "Most Elvish songs seem sad. Someone needs to change that." Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"There was a time when the majority of them were not sad." he said, a strange tinge in his voice.  
  
"And then there was Morgoth." I supplied, and Glorfindel nodded.  
  
"And then there was Morgoth." he confirmed.  
  
"Bah, stupid git." I snorted. "Exile is too good for him." Glorfindel shot me a look of amusement.  
  
"And what would you have done with him?" he asked.  
  
"I'd stick him in a mortal female body in my world and take away all his powers." I said, and I'm sure my eyes glittered evilly as I thought of all the possibilities. "And then I'd stick him in with one of those fanatically Christian churches." Glorfindel arched an eyebrow, obviously wondering what would be so bad about that. "Morgoth would probably go insane from the goodness." I said, and Glorfindel chuckled, shaking his head.  
  
"And then we would have an insane ex-Valar instead of an exiled ex-Valar." he said. "Wonderful."  
  
"No, you'd have an insane powerless ex-Valar." I said, nodding emphatically. "Either that or he'd be reformed."  
  
"I doubt it." Glorfindel said darkly.  
  
"Same here." I said. "Now, shall we have another song?" Glorfindel nodded, and I cheerfully started in on '99 Red Balloons' - singing the first line of the chorus in its original language of German, of course. It was the only line I could remember from the German version, actually, and even then, I was sure I pronounced it horribly. But it was upbeat and catchy, and I caught Glorfindel singing the chorus under his breath at the end. Then, of course, he asked what it was about.  
  
"Uh - nothing really important." I said, trying to figure out a way to explain it. "Someone mistaking a bunch of child's toys for an attack on a kingdom and thus starting a war?" Glorfindel looked at me in shock, and I shrugged. "It doesn't make any sense. It was meant to poke fun at the governments of home, I think." Glorfindel hesitated, and then nodded in understanding. Not long after, he started a song of his own, and we continued like that for quite some time, exchanging songs, explaining what they meant, and spattering little conversations in-between. Glorfindel did manage to dreg up some of the more cheerful Elvish songs from his memory, and I eventually sang some of the slower songs.  
  
Near the end of our little sing-a-thon, I remembered that it was getting near to Christmas - in a strange sort of way - and so I sang a few Christmas songs. I stopped when I started singing random versions of 'We Three Kings', and found it impossible to explain them to Glorfindel. I mean, how do you explain an exploding cigar to someone who's never seen anything explode (except possibly through divine powers) and whose only encounter with tobacco is the Hobbits and Men's pipes? Not to mention that he was beginning to look curious about the mention to the entire reason for the holiday, and I wasn't quite up to explaining Christianity As We Know It to Glorfindel.  
  
Eventually, the conversation died, as did the songs, and I - who had since lay down on my cloak next to the fire - felt myself falling into sleep. When I realized this, of course, I instantly became aware of all the little discomforts, most importantly, that it was chilly. Also, it felt weird to be sleeping without a blanket. I glanced over at Glorfindel, and saw his eyes already unfocused and glazed over in sleep. I glanced down at the bedrolls. At my cloak. Back to Glorfindel. I smiled.  
  
Trying to make as little noise as possible (not hard for my Elvish abilities. Yay for Elvish abilities!), I stood, grabbed my cloak and crept over to where Glorfindel was laying. Soundlessly, I lay down beside him - on his cloak, of course - and then draped my cloak over myself and him. I wasn't actually touching the Elf-lord, but I knew that if he woke up he'd have a problem with the arrangement. So I was very glad that he didn't wake up. It was much nicer to have a blanket - ok, cloak - between the cold stone and me and another cloak-blanket between the cold air and me. Lying on my side, I pillowed my head on my arm, and within moments, was asleep.  
  
I woke the next morning to movement next to me, and the first thing I became aware of was that a source of warmth was leaving. Naturally, I made a grab for the source of warmth and pulled it back towards me. Then the source of warmth chuckled, and I woke up the rest of the way to find my arm clamped around Glorfindel's waist, holding him rather close. I peered up at him, and he looked down at me in amusement.  
  
"Must you wake me up with cold EVERY morning?" I demanded, and he shrugged.  
  
"I was merely going to re-start the fire." he said, and I glanced towards the fire place to see nothing but cold coals. I let go of Glorfindel.  
  
"Get to it, then." I said crisply, and Glorfindel laughed before getting up and doing just that. The instant he left, I wrapped my cloak around me, as well as what I could of Glorfindel's, and especially wrapped my cloak over my head to preserve warmth. It was like a little cocoon of warmth, and my sleepy mind loved my cocoon.  
  
I wasn't allowed to stay like that long, however, as after only a short bit - a few minutes or so - Glorfindel rudely pulled my cloak away from my head. He said nothing as I pouted up at him, merely arched an eyebrow and waited. With a sigh, I rolled to the side - exposing my back to the cold morning air - and let Glorfindel have his cloak back. I figured the gig of stealing Glorfindel's warmth was up, so I started adjusting my cloak as best I could to make up for the fact that I just had it to wrap myself in now. I was startled, however, when Glorfindel abruptly pulled me back towards him and spread my cloak out over both of us.  
  
"Far too early in the morning to be up." he murmured, and then his eyes slid into the unfocused gaze of an Elf preparing to sleep, even as I blinked up at him in shock and surprise. Then I gave a mental shrug, snuggled into his warmth, and let myself slip into sleep as well.  
  
The second time I woke that morning was to the smell of food, and it took me several bleary moments to realize that Glorfindel had managed to get up this time without waking me, and was now a few feet away from me, by the fire, munching happily on something that looked - and smelled - utterly delicious.  
  
"Food?" I inquired intelligently. Glorfindel glanced over at me, and then motioned to a pot by the fire. "Too far." I grunted. Glorfindel looked at me for a moment, then shook his head and chuckled. "It's a hungover human trait, shut up." I growled at him, which just made him chuckle again. Annoyed, I sat up, reached over, and pulled on a piece of his hair. While he was still looking at me in confusion, I stalked over to the fire I served myself some of the food Glorfindel had prepared.  
  
"So, are we going to dig our way out today?" I asked when I finished eating.  
  
"Either that or find a way to feed the horses." Glorfindel said, nodding towards Asfaloth and Aratelpe, who were once more looking quite longingly at our bedrolls where they were still stretched out in front of the fire.  
  
"Indeed." I said, standing and stretching. "Oh gods what I wouldn't do for a bed again. How long is it until Lothlorien now?"  
  
"Barring any more snowstorms, around two weeks." Glorfindel said with a hint of a smile.  
  
"BAH." I announced loudly, startling the horses. "Let's get digging, then." I grumbled. "Sooner we get out of here, the sooner I get a bed." Then I wrinkled my nose and added, "And a bath. I feel dirty." Glorfindel shot me an amused look, then we both rose, packed our belongings up, and carried them with us out into the outer room, so the horses wouldn't have any opportunity to chew on anything. We left the fire going, for the horses, but it proved not to be needed, as Asfaloth and Aratelpe - probably fearing we were going to leave them behind - followed us into the outer room.  
  
We took turns digging through the door snowdrift for the remainder of the day until finally, around noon, the wall we were digging through abruptly collapsed, showing a pale winter sun and clear, blue sky shining over a white landscape.  
  
"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..." I sang under my breath as I surveyed the landscape, and then stepped out to see the depth of the snow. It turned out to be less than a foot deep, and fluffy - easy for the horses to walk through, though we'd have to go carefully so the horses didn't break a leg in a hole they never saw. I turned back to the entranceway of the building, and whistled appreciatively as I saw that the snowdrift we'd dug through went all the way up to the top of the building. Looking at the tunnel I'd just come through itself, I saw Glorfindel already working on enlarging it so the horses could get through.  
  
The tunnel was widened fairly quickly, though there were several scares when I thought the whole thing was going to collapse. Then we ushered the horses outside, brought our saddlery and provisions out and tacked up the horses. I mounted up as Glorfindel dashed inside to put out the fire, and when he re-remerged, he punched the snow in a few specific places, and our tunnel collapsed.  
  
"There goes two days work." I muttered.  
  
"It is better than leaving it there and allowing Orcs to know that Elves use this building for shelter." Glorfindel said with a shrug as he mounted up on Asfaloth.  
  
"Hmm, yes, very true." I said. "Well, let's get out of here. Beds and baths await in Lothlorien." Glorfindel chuckled, and then obliged by urging Asfaloth into a brisk walk. Though the horse soon slowed down all by himself so he could pick his way more carefully through the snow. Aratelpe was quite content to just follow Asfaloth's footsteps and eat what she could see of the grass Asfaloth uncovered.  
  
----To be continued...with Creepy Lady!----  
(And elf that doesn't know whether he's dead or alive!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Hee. Shiny no-prizes to anyone who guessed that last chapters 'to be continued' meant that there'd be singing this chapter.  
  
Anyways, some un-finished business - somebody mentioned, awhile back, that they didn't think Elvish had a word for 'fuck'. (I think maybe it was Aislin? *ponder*) I remembered that last night, and don't recall replying to it, and at any rate, I figured I might as well explain it here. Since Rachel's got an automatic translator in her head, it either translates words that are not currently in the Elvish vocabulary into the closest word, or the word that Rachel speaks just remains as it is. Thus, if she started going on about computers, microchips, and silicon, others around her would actually here the words 'computers', 'microchips' and 'silicon', instead of Elvish equivalents (which they most likely don't have).  
  
Um...what else...oh yes, I can't remember the name of the reviewer that asked for a chapter estimate (and got one) - sorry, but I have trouble with names (yes, reading the Silmarillion was hell because of this) - but, uh, that estimate looks like it's going to be rather off. Never was any good at estimating, now that I come to think of it. Yep.  
  
And on that note...anyone out there mind if I try and drag this story on until the end of the War? Because I'm having strong urges to A) shock the begeezes out of Denethor or B) shock the begeezes out of Faramir. Or both. Maybe Denethor could die from shock and save Faramir the trauma of almost being burned to death? Eh, whatever...I just have half-formed plans floating around my head, and am wondering if anybody REALLY wants to know how it's going to end soon, or if they'd mind it ambling along for quite a bit longer. (either way, chapter estimate is still off...just more off if I let the story go to the end of the War)  
  
Right, time for me to thank my reviewers, and then sign off! This is one of my longer Author's Notes for this story...So thank you to all my reviewers, it's wonderful to have you all! I hope that, if this applies to you, school isn't being utterly horrible, and if it doesn't, well, replace 'school' with 'work', 'life', or anything else applicable. Oh, and KnowInsight gets to borrow Glorfindel for a day because she pointed me in the direction of the Fic 'Glorfindel: Owner's Guide and Maintance Manual'. *snickergiggles*  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	41. Lothlorien

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Legolas: Well, Crimson Starlight ran out of ideas for disclaimers, so she FINALLY allowed me to put in an appearance.  
  
Haldir: And what a lovely appearance it is.  
  
Legolas: *sighs* Along with Haldir, in honour of his first appearance in this fanfiction.  
  
CS: *grins insanely*  
  
Legolas: So, *ahem* Crimson Starlight owns nothing at all.  
  
Haldir *purr* You said that so well.  
  
Legolas: ...  
  
Haldir: You know, you have lovely eyes, Legolas.  
  
Legolas: Uh...thanks?  
  
Haldir: *purrs again and eyes Legolas*  
  
Legolas: ...DAMN YOU, CRIMSON STARLIGHT! *runs*  
  
Haldir: *runs after* Come back, my pretty!  
  
CS: *giggles* What, you don't think I'd actually let Legolas get extra time in the spotlight without having a little fun? He already gets too much attention...  
  
-41: Lothlorien-  
  
For the next week of our journey, the weather remained crisp and clear. Then came the lovely part where we had to cross the Misty Mountains, and every day became a grey blur interspersed with snow flurries. Needless to say, while we were going through the mountains, I snuggled up to Glorfindel at night. He didn't seem to mind.  
  
Then, five days after we entered the mountains, we came 'round a mountain and found foothills in front of us. I gave a little cheer, and sang a few cheery songs - mostly what I could remember of random Monty Python songs. After asking what the first few meant, and giving me strange looks when he found out, Glorfindel stopped asking what the songs meant. That night, we camped in the foothills, and Glorfindel announced that we would reach Lothlorien in three or four days, if nothing happened.  
  
"And by my lucky Irish blood, it won't." I growled menacingly, glaring at the world at large. "I want a BED."  
  
"And a bath?" Glorfindel added dryly, used to my complaint by now, and I nodded vigorously. Glorfindel just chuckled, as he usually did, and went back to eating supper.  
  
And lo and behold, we actually managed to make it to Lothlorien in three days, without anything happening. Bless my Irish background. It was actually quite funny when we arrived - I could tell the moment we entered Lothlorien, because not only did a sense of peace and safety settle over me, but Glorfindel visibly perked up. I swear, if an Elves ears could twitch, Glorfindel's would be doing so. It took me a few moments to realize, though, that he wasn't just happy to be in Lothlorien - it seemed he had put himself on full alert and was listening and scanning the trees intently.  
  
"Glory, wha-" my slightly worried question was cut off as Glorfindel's hand shot out and covered my mouth. Then he shot me a look that clearly said 'be quiet'. I gave him a confused look, but obeyed. A few moments later, Glorfindel abruptly reigned Asfaloth in.  
  
"Hail, Marchwarden!" he called out, and I heard a few chuckles coming from the trees before a rather familiar looking elf appeared, followed shortly by a merry band of ten or so Elves.  
  
"What was it this time?" Haldir asked Glorfindel dryly.  
  
"Your breathing, as per usual." Glorfindel replied, looking far to innocent, and Haldir made a noise of disbelief.  
  
"Someday I shall figure out how you manage to always hear us." he said.  
  
"Perhaps." Glorfindel said with a mild smile. "I doubt it, though."  
  
"So this was what you had me keep quiet for? Doink." I said to Glorfindel in annoyance, and whacked him on the head. The Lothlorien elves looked shocked - well, Haldir just looked mildly surprised - while Glorfindel just rubbed the back of his head and glared at me.  
  
"And who might this charming lady be, Lord Glorfindel?" Haldir asked, eyeing me. The sarcasm in his statement was not lost on me, and I considered thwapping him, as well, but figured I'd probably get a few arrows stuck in my face if I tried.  
  
"This -" Glorfindel started slowly, sounding as if he was going to thoroughly enjoy revealing who I was - and I realized then that that might not be such a good idea, since it could get back to Kari before I had a chance to tell her and ooooh, that would NOT be good. If she heard it from Elrohir, I still maintained it would be OK, but a random strange elf? ReallyReallyAngry!Kari.  
  
"Is Lady Asira of Gondor." I finished Glorfindel's introduction crisply. Glorfindel looked at me in surprise, but the Lothlorien elves were too busy doing the same thing to notice.  
  
"Of Gondor, you say?" Haldir asked, stepping back and looking me and my horse up and down.  
  
"Tutor to the Lord Stewards sons." I confirmed blandly.  
  
"Indeed." Haldir said with a slight frown, and I wondered if he'd heard something about me.  
  
"We are here with messages for Lady Galadriel from Lord Elrond?" Glorfindel put in, and Haldir nodded abruptly as he brought his attention back to Glorfindel.  
  
"Yes, you are expected. Come." With that, Haldir turned and strode off through the trees, and we followed. I thought for a short while that we were to have Haldir as our guide to Caras Galadhon, but apparently he was only leading us back to where another guide was waiting on a horse. That guide then took us to Caras Galadhon.  
  
When we entered the city, I cautiously pulled the hood of my cloak up over my face, not wanting to encounter Kari quite yet. The guide looked at me strangely, but said nothing, especially as Glorfindel seemed to take it in stride - I'd had a quick whispered conversation with him on the way here explaining my reasoning for adopting my Gondorian identity. Finally, we stopped at the base of a tree, and several Elves came and took our horses. The guide motioned silently for us to go up the stairs into the tree, and so we did.  
  
We soon came out onto a platform where several other Elves were standing off to the side, and I brushed my hood back once I was sure Kari was not in attendance. Then Galadriel appeared - not glowing, thankfully. Glorfindel bowed slightly, and shot me a warning look telling me to curtsey, but I had already beat him to it and made the deepest curtsey I thought I could manage. Be disrespectful to Elrond? Sure, he looks funny when he's annoyed. Be disrespectful to Creepy Lady? Hell no. I wasn't going to push my luck that much.  
  
"Welcome to Lothlorien, Lord Glorfindel, Miss Rachel." Galadriel said in a soft, clear voice, and I decided instantly that she must have an incredible singing voice.  
  
"We bring messages from Lord Elrond." Glorfindel said politely.  
  
"I know." Galadriel said with a smile, and I held back a flash of annoyance. Sure, she may know everything, but did she have to flaunt it? "But they may wait until later. You have traveled far. Go take some rest - I shall hear your messages later tonight." Whatever annoyances I had with Galadriel flew out the window with the statement, and I brightened considerably. Galadriel's gaze flickered over to me, and she looked amused, but even that didn't quench the thoughts of a bed and a bath. Then there came what felt like a soft brush at my mind.  
  
//Out.// I commanded instantly in my head, looking sternly at Galadriel. I caught a flicker of surprise on her face. //Whatever you have to say to me, you can say to me OUT of my mind or not at all.// Galadriel looked amused now.  
  
//Very well.// came the light voice in my head, and the touch withdrew, surprising me slightly. I hadn't actually expected that to work. I shook away my surprise to think over later, however, as Galadriel called an Elf over and got them to show Glorfindel and I to our flets - which were, surprisingly, near each other. When I realized that, I muttered an implication or two northwards, at Elrond, knowing that he'd most likely mentioned to Galadriel how easily I got lost.  
  
"I rather think it was thoughtful of him." Glorfindel said mildly.  
  
"Doesn't stop it from being annoying." I replied crisply, and then we split ways to go to our separate flets. My scarce baggage had already been brought up by the Elf that had taken care of Aratelpe, and I was also amused to discover that a few moments after I entered, another Elf arrived inquiring if I'd like a bath. I said yes, then asked them to come get me a Lord Glorfindel's flet when it was ready, because I was going to go bug the heck out of him. The Elf looked at me strangely, and I smiled sweetly before disappearing.  
  
Haldir, it seemed, had come back to Caras Galadhon almost on our heels, as he was visiting with Glorfindel when I entered.  
  
"You should knock, you know." Glorfindel said when I entered, interrupting whatever Haldir was in the middle of saying. Haldir looked over at me in amusement, but obviously not surprise - he'd probably heard me coming, just as Glorfindel had.  
  
"Yeah, but you'd probably ignore me if I did." I said with a shrug.  
  
"Well, now that you have suggested it..." Glorfindel said thoughtfully.  
  
"Don't make me steal your boot and whack you with it." I said warningly, and Glorfindel just grinned, while Haldir looked very much like he was trying not to burst out laughing. "Actually, that reminds me." I said thoughtfully, and then whacked Haldir on the head.  
  
"OW! What was that for?!" he demanded, instantly turning serious and scowling down at me.  
  
"Earlier." I replied promptly. "When I couldn't do so because I would have become a pin cushion if I tried."  
  
"You probably would have just been knocked out." Glorfindel said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"See, the 'probably' part is what worries me. You never know with these Lothlorien Elves. Dangerous, scary folk they are." I said solemnly, and Haldir eyed me as if he was trying to figure out if I was serious and he should correct me, or if I was joking. To solve his dilemma, I grinned. "Human misconceptions are such fun, don't you think?" I asked him, and Haldir nodded hesitantly.  
  
"That reminds me," he said suddenly, "Lady Alkarisil wishes to extend invitations to the party from Rivendell to attend her Yuletide Feast, if they care to stay until the 24th of the next month."  
  
"I shall most likely return to Rivendell before then, but I'm sure Lady Asira would be glad to attend." Glorfindel said, and then turned to me expectantly, only to find me staring at Haldir in shock. After a few moments of silence, Haldir shot a confused look at Glorfindel, who shrugged.  
  
"Lady Asira?" Haldir asked, looking as if he wanted to wave a hand in front of my eyes to see if I was awake.  
  
"Did you just say 'Yuletide Feast'?" I asked, pulling myself out of my shock.  
  
"Yes, it is something Lady Alkarisil holds every year at this time - she says she picked it up during her travels from a human culture, which is why I remembered it just now." Haldir replied. There was a pause, and then I started cackling.  
  
"That so rocks!" I said with a giggle when I finally calmed down. "She brought Christmas to the Elves..." I continued snickering quietly for awhile, while Glorfindel and Haldir looked at me oddly.  
  
"You know of this tradition?" Haldir finally asked, and I nodded vigorously. "What is it about? Lady Alkarisil will not tell us - she says she never truly found out." I snorted.  
  
"Oh, she knows. She just doesn't want to explain Christianity to y'all." I said. "Not that I don't blame her - I'm certainly not going to do it. Too complicated and too confusing. Gist of the holiday, though, is that, according to some, it's the celebration of the birth of a savior."  
  
"A savior?" Haldir asked curiously, obviously hoping for elaboration on that.  
  
"Yeah. Any more than that you shall have to prod out of Kari yourself." I replied.  
  
"You know Lord Elladan?" Haldir asked abruptly, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Hm?" I asked blankly.  
  
"You called Lady Alkarisil 'Kari'. I have only heard Lord Elladan call her that." Haldir explained.  
  
"Oh, yeah, I know him." I replied with amusement, remembering how I'd helped him turn Kari and Elrohir purple those many, many years ago. "But I called her 'Kari' first. He just picked it up from me."  
  
"So you know Alkarisil?" Haldir asked in surprise, and I noted with interest that the 'lady' was gone. Haldir and Kari apparently knew each other, as well. I wasn't surprised.  
  
"In a way. I would appreciate it if you would not mention to her that I was here, however. We did not part on the best of terms the last time we saw each other, and I would like to approach her myself. Well, to be truthful, I'd rather let Elrohir approach her and then come in after he's calmed her down, but Elrond's a meanie." I said, making a face at the end. Haldir looked very amused at that comment, and opened his mouth to say something more, but at that moment there came a knock at the door. It proved to be the Elf telling me my bath was ready, and after dashing over and poking Glorfindel in the side, I ran off to my flet to get clean. Glorfindel, quite sensibly, didn't follow me, though I felt his glare until I shut the door to my flet.  
  
----To be continued...with the Lord and Lady of the Golden Wood!----  
(And a really corny plot twist!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Well, you people are impatient for Glorfindel and Rachel to get together, aren't you? *shakes head in amusement* Have patience, my dear reviewers! Romance shall come in time! Which reminds me, I decided the other day that Lothlorien has a hot spring...*innocent*  
  
Also, the general consesus seems to be that nobody cares how long I make this story. So, off we go! Mr. Sun will get the opportunity to shine in Gondor. (You'll get it in a few chapters...)  
  
And, I'm not sure if any of you noticed, I revised Chapter 18. It's been bugging me lately, because the entire time Rachel's in Gondor right before the War, I completely skipped over the fact that Aragorn was also prancing around down there as Thorongil. Also, there was the absolute lack of mentioning Gandalf (there was two or three sentences about avoiding him in Chapter 23, which have been deleted in favour of the new explanation) and Prince Imrahil. So I added a hand-written page's worth of material, and now it's much better...  
  
Anyways! Thank you to each and every one of my...er...close to 30 reviewers who reviewed the last chapter. O.o Keep reviewing, please. It's absolutely wonderful to get up in the morning, get on the computer before school, and find reviews waiting for me. Of course, then I get inspired to write, and the next thing I know I'm going to be late for school, but hey. At least it gets more of the story written, yes? :)  
  
See y'all on Monday!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	42. Memory

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own absolutely nothing - except this very large box of Belgian hedgehog chocolates! *hugs chocolates*  
  
Chocolates: HELP US! SHE'S GOING TO EAT US!  
  
CS: Of course I am, that's what chocolates are for! Too be eaten!  
  
Chocolates: But we have feelings, too, and we don't like being eaten.  
  
CS: ...you're chocolates! Inanimate objects! You can't think, or move, let alone have feelings!  
  
Chocolates: Yes we can!  
  
Rachel: Crimson Starlight's a chocolate murderer!  
  
CS: Shut up, you, or I'll have you go try and find Gandalf's hat and get eaten by the Balrog and THEN where would you be?  
  
Rachel: Inside a Balrog?  
  
Glorfindel: *twitch* No Rachel, you would be dead.  
  
Rachel: But what if I grabbed Gandalf's ring before getting eaten and -  
  
CS: TRUST ME, you'd be dead! Right Mandos?  
  
Mandos: ----  
  
CS: *giggles*  
  
Galadriel: And the lesson for this disclaimer is -  
  
Elrond: Chocolate makes authors more crazy than normal.  
  
Galadriel: (But at least it gets me into disclaimers...)  
  
-42: Memory-  
  
My bath was actually quite relaxing, and once I was done with it, I found I could do nothing more than drag myself to my bed and collapse into sleep. The bed was soft, and I had the most wonderful sleep I had had in quite a long time. I think the only way it could have been better was if I had a sexy elf-lord to snuggle up to.  
  
Hunger woke me later, and I found that it was early the next morning. My stomach was growling quite loudly, and I sat up with the intention of finding food - only to find myself looking at some on my bedside table, steaming hot and smelling delicious. I blinked in surprise, and then glanced around the room, but nobody was there. Anymore. I paused, wondering who had dropped the food off, then decided that Glorfindel had probably at least had some part in it. Him or Galadriel, wanting to get me out of bed. I shrugged, and then dug into the food, finishing it off quickly.  
  
I was still slightly hungry when I finished, so I headed out of my room with the intention of finding the kitchens. Once again, however, my intention was thwarted, as the instant I stepped outside an Elf emerged from the shadows and informed me that Lady Galadriel wished to see me. As I followed the Elf to meet Galadriel, I absently wondered how long he'd been waiting for me to emerge. I decided that he'd probably been the one to bring in the food, and had just waited until I emerged.  
  
Eventually, my guide stopped at a door, bowed to me, and left. I considered just entering, but then I remembered Creepy Galadriel from the Fellowship of the Ring, and I knocked. An airy voice - which I recognized as Galadriel's - told me to enter, and so I did. Upon entering, I found myself confronted by not only Galadriel, but Celeborn as well.  
  
"Come, sit, Rachel." Galadriel said, motioning to a chair once I'd made a little curtsey. I took the seat quietly, and then looked up at Galadriel and Celeborn, waiting for them to speak. Galadriel, it seemed, was doing the same as I and waiting for someone else to speak first, so it ended out being Celeborn who spoke next.  
  
"You have had a most interesting life, Rachel." he said smoothly, and the thought flashed through my head that Marton Csokas barely did the Elf Lord justice. Cate Blanchett did a fairly good Galadriel, but there was some sort of quality to Celeborn that I doubt any human would ever be able to capture - and his voice was just to die for. He probably had a wonderful singing voice, as well. Ah, who am I kidding? All Elves have wonderful singing voices - even I seemed to have acquired one. I mentally shook myself and pulled myself back to the conversation at hand.  
  
"So some people would say." I replied.  
  
"Only some?" Galadriel said, arching an eyebrow delicately. "You have contrived your own false 'death' and wandered Middle-Earth for over 800 years. I find it hard to believe that any would not find that interesting."  
  
"Orcs wouldn't." I said with a shrug. Galadriel and Celeborn exchanged looks.  
  
"They hardly count." Celeborn said, and I shrugged again. "Lord Elrond tells us that you, like Alkarisil, know of the future of this age."  
  
"Doesn't anybody ask me before they tell people about that?" I asked with some annoyance. "Darn Glory, setting a precedent." Galadriel looked amused, and my annoyance almost flared into anger before I remembered that this was Creepy Lady, keeper of an Elven ring of Power.  
  
"You do know of the future?" Celeborn persisted, and I nodded.  
  
"Indeed I do." I said. "And a good deal of the past, as well."  
  
"At this time, it is not the past that matters." Celeborn said. "That you know the future is what concerns us."  
  
"Even here in Lothlórien, it would be dangerous for you to let slip pieces of what you know." Galadriel put in. "You cannot even let on that you know what the future is going to hold - the results could be disastrous."  
  
"I will say this once. I may be terminally insane, but I am not an idiot." I said firmly. "I know that letting it slip that I know of the future, or that letting slip pieces of that knowledge, could be disastrous. I also know that I will not be able to hold it all in, no matter how hard I try. That's part of the reason why I agreed so easily to come here - for one, it takes away much of the temptation, with those I have the most knowledge of far out of my reach. For another, Kari is here, and talking with her should lessen the amount of slips I make."  
  
"I doubt it." Galadriel said softly, and I looked at her sharply, ready to give her a piece of my mind, but the look on her face stopped me short. "Kari does not recall anything from before you and she arrived in Rivendell." Galadriel elaborated, and I looked at her in stunned surprise.  
  
"Why not?" I asked.  
  
"When Estel first came to Rivendell, she found the attempt to keep her knowledge to herself a bit overwhelming. She spoke with Glorfindel and Gandalf a few times about it, but she could not tell them much, and the stress of trying to keep from saying anything told on her. Eventually, when the roads were becoming too dangerous to travel, she came here to pass along Lord Elrond's request for Arwen to return to Rivendell, and stayed on here herself. She then asked me to temporarily block out her memories of what she knew."  
  
I wasn't quite sure how long I sat there, staring at Galadriel in shock, but I knew it was a good length of time. Thoughts flashed through my head occasionally, gone almost as soon as they were finished - I was far too surprised to latch onto anything coherent. I did, eventually, and I followed through on that first coherent thought - I got up and left the room, not looking back at Galadriel and Celeborn, who were starting to show some concern.  
  
Outside of the room, I paused for a moment, and then made my way down, out of the tree. If Galadriel and Celeborn called after me, I didn't hear as I headed off into the forest at a brisk trot. I knew I was going to get lost, wandering in the forest, but at this moment, I WANTED to get lost. And the walking helped bring me back into my own, letting me think once more.  
  
It was becoming painfully apparent to me that my faked death had a harder impact on Kari than I had originally thought it might, or had ever imagined it would have. Kari loved her privacy, and her free will - she always had, and I doubt even 800 years could change it. So the fact that she let Galadriel into her mind to block out her memories of the Fellowship spoke of how hard it was for her to deal with them. This whole return thing of mine was not going to be a pretty sight when she found out - if she even recognized me.  
  
If she remembered nothing from before we arrived in Rivendell, then Kari would not, presumably, remember what I looked like before. She would only remember me as a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Elf that jumped off a cliff to her death. She wouldn't even remember all that much of my personality - I'd left Rivendell after being there less than a week. Granted, Kari and I had spent a lot of that time together, but it would still not be enough for her to recognize me. Of course, just seeing me might shock her repressed memories into surfacing.  
  
The question was, if Kari didn't remember me, did I even want to try and get her to remember me? I had no trouble keeping my knowledge to myself. Or rather, I could just ramble on to Glorfindel if I was having trouble. He was discreet, and would not repeat any of what I'd said - and since Galadriel had blocked Kari's memories, I could probably tell her, as well. Though why I would talk to Creepy Lady after she blocked my friend's memory of me I had no idea. I think Morgoth would return and take over all of Arda before I did that.  
  
I wondered, then, if Elrond knew of what Galadriel had done. Or Elrohir. It was entirely possible that Kari had asked Galadriel not to say anything, and just to let her remember everything when Arwen's escort arrived in Lothlórien, since that would be the next time Kari would see either Elrond or Elrohir. Of course, I'm not sure Kari even remembered that Arwen came through Lothlórien with an escort once the war was over.  
  
I sighed, suddenly tired, and flopped down at the base of the nearest tree. For a change of thoughts, I started humming a Christmas song and recalling Christmases from when I was young. That, of course, eventually brought me to Kari's Yuletide Feast, and I blinked in surprise, wondering suddenly how she could be holding it when she didn't recall anything from home. Then Haldir's words came back - Kari held it every year. She probably started the tradition before she had her memory messed with, and was just keeping it going now.  
  
Then, with growing horror, I recalled how Haldir had claimed that she had said she didn't know the reason of it, and I had told him that she did and he just needed to prod her into saying it. I jumped up and headed back for Caras Galadhon - at least I headed in the direction I was pretty sure Caras Galadhon was in - meaning to find Haldir and, if necessary, explain to him all about Christmas just so he wouldn't ask Kari about it and wake her memory inadvertently. If he told her the bit that I'd told him in an effort to help pry the information out of her, and it stirred her memory, she would know who I was in an instant, without even seeing me. If it woke her memory.  
  
Even with my frantic thoughts, some part of my brain registered the presence above and in front of me before it dropped in front of me, and I was able to swerve out of the way. I slowed to a stop, and then whirled to face the Elf, scowling, intending to give him a good scolding. When I saw it was Glorfindel, however, I just walked over to him and poked him in the side, causing him to make a funny noise and skip-jump away from my finger. I nodded in satisfaction, and then turned to leave again.  
  
"Wait." Glorfindel said, and caught my arm. "I do have a reason for jumping in front of you."  
  
"That's nice to know." I replied crisply. "But I have a rather pressing matter to attend to -"  
  
"Already?" Glorfindel asked, arching an eyebrow. "We have not even been here a day."  
  
"I can get myself into deep shit in far less than a day, Glory." I replied in annoyance. "I'm surprised you haven't figured THAT out by now."  
  
"You said a 'pressing matter', not 'trouble'." Glorfindel pointed out. "What have you done this time?"  
  
"Oh, nothing I can explain. You wouldn't happen to know where Haldir is, though?" I asked, suddenly realizing that Glorfindel just might know, since he and Haldir had seemed to be good friends.  
  
"Yes, I do." Glorfindel said, a disturbed look entering his face.  
  
"Where?" I demanded, starting up an internal chant of 'please don't say with Kari'.  
  
"When I left him, he was speaking with Kari about her Yuletide Feast." Glorfindel said. "He was attempting to get the meaning for the feast from her, since you said that she knew it." I let out a stream of curses.  
  
"Where was that?" I asked. Glorfindel eyed me.  
  
"Why do you wish to know so badly?" he asked. "I thought you wished to stay away from Kari until the time was right to reveal your presence?"  
  
"Kari doesn't remember me looking like this at the moment." I snapped. "Galadriel zapped her memory. Haldir's questions just might unzap her memory, though. So where are they?" Glorfindel looked at me, stunned, for a moment, and then adopted a thoughtful look.  
  
"That would explain." he murmured softly.  
  
"Explain what? No, I don't want to know. I just want to know where Kari and Haldir are so I can stop Haldir from re-awakening Kari's memory and causing her to go psycho on me." I said.  
  
"I left them quite some time ago to look for you, Rachel. Haldir and Kari's conversation is no doubt long over, and whatever consequences that came from it beyond your control." Glorfindel said in a tone that I knew was meant to be soothing - but panic about Kari's reaction was filling me, and I was not soothed. I let out another string of swears, and turned to run off again - I was of half a mind to head back to Rivendell or Gondor, anywhere far away from Elves and the problems they invariably caused in my life - but, unexpectedly, Glorfindel grabbed me by the shoulders, spinning me to face him once more, and held me firmly in place. He stared at me sternly as I tried to get away, cursing him the entire time, only relaxing his grip when I subsided, crossing my arms and glowering at him.  
  
"You knew you would have to face Kari. That you could not pick the time or place is unfortunate, but you must deal with it, Rachel. You cannot run. Not again." he said, and I looked at him with slight surprise, wondering how he had sensed my intentions when I had barely figured them out myself. "Kari's memory might not even have been woken, besides." Glorfindel pointed out.  
  
"I doubt it." I said with a sigh. "I doubt it very much."  
  
"Then she shall find you and you shall resolve your problems with her. If not, you can leave her be until you have discerned how best to wake her memory." Glorfindel replied sensibly. I paused, and then nodded, before looking up at Glorfindel curiously.  
  
"You make far too much sense." I said, and Glorfindel chuckled, letting his arms drop from my shoulders.  
  
"Several thousand years tend to cause that." he said.  
  
"Not to mention death." I added, Glorfindel gave a little shudder.  
  
"Yes, let us NOT mention that." he said, and I laughed before draping my arm over his shoulders (as best I could, considering how short I was) and pulling him along with me as I headed back to Caras Galadhon. Well, Glorfindel had to correct my course slightly, but that was to be expected. This IS me we're talking about.  
  
When we entered the city, I removed my arm from Glorfindel's shoulders, knowing I would get funny looks from various elves, and also suddenly remembering the answer that had started up conversation between Glorfindel and me again. As we headed back to our flets, I watched Glorfindel out of the corner of my eye, wondering what was going through his head, and why, if there had been more to it than the wine, as he had said, he hadn't made anymore moves to that effect. Or maybe he had but I hadn't recognized them, being too used to the forward advances of men from my world, or just Men in general? I really was rather clueless about Elvish customs.  
  
That was another thing Kari could help me with - along with stopping me from running away in a panic is I, for some reason, started worrying about becoming a Mary-Sue again. Kari could be fooled once, but after that - not a chance. She would see right through any attempt I made to leave and drag me back, by my pointy l'il ears, kicking and screaming, and make me confront what I had run away from. Yes, she was the most wonderful friend, indeed.  
  
My thoughts barely slowed as Glorfindel and I split ways, him heading off to his own flet and I to mine. This time I was so distracted that my mind didn't sense the presence ahead of me, even as I opened the door and stepped inside my flet. In fact, it wasn't until I had shut the door that I bothered to glance around the room, and then my eyes latched onto the intruder and I froze.  
  
"Hello, Rachel." Kari said icily.  
  
----To be continued...with, uh, Kari...----  
(Isn't that a stunning surprise?)  
  
-Timeline note:-  
Arwen returned to Rivendell in 3009 of the Third Age. So, Kari wandered around without remembering the Lord of the Rings and its events for approximately nine years.  
  
-Authors Note:-  
This time in Crimson Starlight's Editting News - I changed all the 'Lothlorien' and 'Lorien's to 'Lothlórien' and 'Lórien's. Because I re-read the Lothlórien chapter in the Fellowship of the Ring and realised that the 'o' has that funny thing over it. (I have no idea what it's called, though I'm pretty sure I've been told at least half a dozen times) I haven't re-uploaded any of the chapters that it's in, though. It will just be in this chapter and the following ones - unless I decide to re-post all the chapters for this story at some point...(Which I never will! This things going to be a monster in length when it's finished, and I'm NOT going to be re-uploading 50+ chapters!)  
  
In other news, you know what I realized the other day? Haldir has been a major character in every single one of my chaptered stories to date, and has been a main character in one of my one-chapter-wonders. And he's looking to put in a good appearance in this fic, too. The darned Elf must be sleeping with my muse or something to keep sneaking into my stories this way - *I* certainly don't start out intending to have him be an important part of the stories. I was going to follow the books for 'Sightseeing in Middle-Earth', but then decided otherwise at the last moment, and thus Haldir was introduced at Helm's Deep - Glorfindel was originally going to be Elisandra's father in 'No Eyes Needed' - and Haldir's friendship with Glorfindel just kinda popped up in this one. O.o Maybe he's stalking me...*looks around fearfully*  
  
Thank you to all my reviewers, you all get boxes of cyber-chocolates! I'll see y'all again on Thursday with my normal insanity! Unless you write a review which I feel, in my strange hyper-active way, needs a response. Then you'll be hearing from me sooner. But the next chapter will be up on Thursday!  
  
Now I'm going to go write more...  
~Crimson Starlight 


	43. Alkarisil

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Tolkien: It's all mine.  
  
CS: Quite right.  
  
...  
  
CS: Except for Rachel and Kari.  
  
Tolkien: Who I don't want.  
  
...  
  
Rachel: I feel...rejected.  
  
Kari: And this is new?  
  
Rachel: *whaps Kari*  
  
Glorfindel: Mortals...*shakes head in disgust*  
  
Rachel: ...  
  
CS: *points to Tolkien, who is scowling at Rachel, Kari and CS*  
  
Rachel: Right...he WOULD make Glorfindel follow canon, wouldn't he?  
  
CS: Oooooh yeah. In the strongest possible way...  
  
-43: Alkarisil-  
  
I stared at Kari, frozen in place, my mind working furiously at trying to find something to say to her, but coming up with nothing at all. Irrationally, I sent a curse Glorfindel's way, and then quite rationally, I sent several creative curses Haldir and Galadriel's ways. That seemed to set my mind to working again, and I came up with what is likely the most BRILLIANT response ever:  
  
"Hello, Kari." She smiled at me sardonically, recognizing the genius of my response.  
  
"I prefer Alkarisil." she said.  
  
"Alkarisil." I corrected myself with a shrug.  
  
"My, aren't we talkative for one so recently returned from the dead." she said sarcastically, and I shifted uncomfortably, suddenly realizing why my mother had always told me that sarcasm wasn't a good skill to cultivate.  
  
"No, not at the moment." I said. "I'm actually kinda having trouble just trying to keep my mind working at the moment."  
  
"Oh, you are having trouble keeping you mind working?" Kari - she was still Kari to my mind, no matter what she wanted to be called, dammit - said rolling her eyes. "You would think you had just had a friend who you thought was DEAD return, alive and well, or some other thing along those lines."  
  
"I panicked, it was stupid, I'm sorry, and there's nothing much more I can say than that." I snapped in reply.  
  
"How sincere you sound." Kari said dryly.  
  
"It's hard to be sincere when you seem to have remembered, after 800 years, just how to push my buttons." I retorted in annoyance.  
  
"Oh yes, I'm the one at fault now." Kari said with an overly dramatic sigh.  
  
"Hell yes if you're going to continue being a bitch." I snapped. "You have no idea how much courage it took me to even come to Lothlórien, and how many times I almost turned back. If it wasn't for Glorfindel, I would be bloody well halfway back to Minas Tirith by now. I wasn't even intending that you figure out that I was back this soon, I was hoping to confront you at a time and place of my choosing - which would not have been in the middle of the afternoon the day after I arrived, in my flet. But it happened that way, and I'm trying to deal with it, so excuse ME if I'm a little disconcerted."  
  
"It is always about you, is it not? Always has been." Kari said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"At this moment, since I am the one that caused the problem, yes, it is about me." I replied, arching an eyebrow in return. "It can easily be turned around so it is about YOU and how you would like me to that I truly AM sorry, though, if you just ask." Kari looked somewhat surprised. She had obviously not expected this reaction from me. Well, I had changed in 800 years, just as she had - whether those changes were for better or worse, in either of us, only time would tell.  
  
"There is no way you can prove your apology." Kari said bitterly, walking over to me. She stopped a few feet in front of me and gave me a hard stare. "What you've done cannot be forgiven." Then she stormed past me and left the flet.  
  
I stared at the slightly open door for several minutes after she left, trying to recover from the encounter. For a moment, I was prepared to give up hope at her parting statement, but then I recalled how Elladan and Elrohir were, indeed, still talking to me, and I was on the edge of a bloody romance with Glorfindel. 'Cannot be forgiven'? Hell yes it can. The question was, how? I was pulled out of my thoughts as there came a cursory knock at my door before it slowly opened again. I found myself looking up at Glorfindel.  
  
"Kari was here?" It was a question that needn't have been asked, as the only way Glorfindel could have known was if he had seen Kari leaving. Nonetheless, I nodded.  
  
Then, surprisingly, I found myself pulled into a hug. I stiffened for a moment, and then relaxed in Glorfindel's arms, wrapping my own around him and holding onto him. I felt safe there, and it pushed away my worries about Kari, which at the moment, I needed. I liked to remain in control of situations, and that control had been taken away and replaced with a whirlwind of breathlessly quick and dangerous occurrences that I liked to remain in control simply to avoid.  
  
I barely noticed when Glorfindel shut the door, but it was rather hard not to notice when he picked me up and deposited me on the bed. But quite honestly, I didn't care as long as he was there, and just snuggled closer to him and enjoyed the time, knowing that I would, eventually, have to come back to reality and figure out how to prove to Kari that I knew what I had done was stupid and that I was sorry.  
  
Of course, you've probably figured out the solution to that by now. My brain, however, was currently living in the moment, and it wasn't until coherent thoughts involving both the past and the future, as well as the present, began to seep back into it that I realized what the perfect way to show Kari that I knew what I'd done was stupid and that I was sorry was. And really? I wasn't going to mind doing it one bit. Because, essentially, what I needed to prove to Kari was that I no longer believed in Mary-Sues, and the perfect way to prove that was to pursue this blossoming relationship with Glorfindel.  
  
I couldn't help it, I cackled gleefully as plans started to form, and Glorfindel pulled back and gave me an odd look.  
  
"I just figured something out." I said, grinning wickedly, and Glorfindel arched an eyebrow.  
  
"And what might that be?" he asked.  
  
"My secret!" I replied happily, bouncing up from the bed and heading over to the window. I poked my head outside, looked around for no reason, and then returned my attention to the room to find Glorfindel now standing behind me - and I hadn't even heard him move. "Don't move so quietly." I said with a mock scowl. "Unless you're going to lead me to the kitchens. I'm hungry." Glorfindel stared at me as I went over to the door and held it open, looking at him impatiently. Then he laughed, and proceeded to lead me to the kitchens of Lothlórien, where, after I remembered that I had skipped lunch, I scarfed down a good hobbit-sized helping of an early supper. The cooks gave me mixed amused and revolted looks, while Glorfindel just watched me with a puzzled look on his face. He wasn't going to know what hit him, I decided with a wicked grin.  
  
As I finished my late meal, Glorfindel informed me that I would have to sit through another meal shortly, as we were to be attending a formal supper with Galadriel, Celeborn, and some of the other notables of Lothlórien, later.  
  
"Well why didn't you tell me that BEFORE I stuffed myself?" I demanded, and Glorfindel shrugged, smiling innocently.  
  
"It slipped my mind." he replied, far too innocently, and I narrowed my eyes at him dangerously. "Think of it this way - it shall leave you more time to speak with your table companions."  
  
"You had better be one of those." I said, twitching slightly as I envisioned myself surrounded by boring Elf-lords and nothing to do but talk to them. Glorfindel just shrugged nonchalantly and rose, giving me a little wave before sauntering out of the kitchen, suddenly reminding me of the long-ago memory of a certain Mr. Johnny Depp playing a certain Captain Jack Sparrow. That thought made me rather lost to the world for several minutes - let's face it, Jack Sparrow and Glorfindel in the same thought would cause ANYONE to lose touch with reality for a short time (though for different reasons for males, I'm sure).  
  
I was, unfortunately, pulled out of my little never-never land by an elf politely inquiry for 'Miss Rachel' at the kitchen door. The cooks pointed in my direction, and I had enough time to gather my thoughts before the female elf came over to me and curtseyed politely.  
  
"Lady Galadriel wishes to speak with you." she said, so softly I could barely hear. I felt a flash of annoyance, and contemplated refusing, but this was Creepy Lady's realm, and therefore, it wouldn't be wise to piss her off. Especially since this was about the only place left for me to observe any part of the quest in comfort and relative welcome. So, with a shrug, I followed the elf as she lead me out of the kitchens, up various stairways, and over random walkways, finally coming to a stop at a familiar-looking door. I entered cautiously, knocking first, and found that this was indeed the same room I'd been in earlier today to see Galadriel and Celeborn, but this time, only Galadriel was waiting for me.  
  
"I am glad you have returned, Rachel." Galadriel said, with no hint of accusation in her voice about my previous exit.  
  
"Mm." was my response.  
  
"Please, sit." Galadriel said for the second time that day, motioning to the same chair I had sat in before. I sat. "I understand that the news of Alkarisil's memory must have come as quite a shock to you."  
  
"You're almost as good as Elrond at understating." I grumbled, and I saw a smile ghost across Galadriel's lips before she continued.  
  
"This change in Kari's memory is only temporary, however - she asked me to lift it when the War of the Ring ended. Alternatively, sufficient changes to the timeline as she knows it should go will wake her memories." she said.  
  
"Or a nice big, juicy shock like finding out I'm still alive." I said, glowering up at Galadriel, and she nodded down at me.  
  
"Indeed it would." she said. I felt a flicker of surprise, and then, with an inward grin, I realized that Galadriel did not yet know of Kari's recent discovery. I pondered telling her, and then pondered the consequences of NOT telling her. Creepy Lady wins again.  
  
"Like it did this morning." I said innocently, and had the extreme pleasure of being perhaps the first Elf in several hundred years to see a look of pure surprise on Galadriel's face. I couldn't help it - I grinned.  
  
"You have revealed yourself to her already?" Galadriel asked, shaking her head slightly as her surprise dissipated.  
  
"No." I drawled, using this chance to turn the tables on Galadriel and look at HER in faint amusement. I don't think the turn-about was lost on Galadriel. "I said something to Haldir about Kari's Yuletide Feast that I shouldn't have. When he revealed that piece of information to Kari in an attempt to get more, it broke through the memory block, as only someone from our world could know of that particular piece of information. It being based on a religion that doesn't even exist here and all."  
  
"And how do you know this?" Galadriel asked, tilting her head to one side.  
  
"You are no more an idiot than I, Lady Galadriel." I said, giving Galadriel another amused look. "How do you THINK I know this?" There really was only one way I could know it, and Galadriel knew it.  
  
"So have you resolved your...differences now?" Galadriel asked, and I shook my head, though I think she had already figured out that, as well.  
  
"No, Kari - 'scuse me, Alkarisil - has deemed that what I did cannot be forgiven. Even though Elladan, Elrohir, and Glory did just that." I said, my lips twitching in grim amusement. "They didn't have such a close connection to me as Kari when I disappeared, though, so I can understand that she feels the - well, she'd probably call it either betrayal or abandonment - more keenly."  
  
"I take it you have a plan to change her mind, however?" Galadriel said, arching an eyebrow delicately.  
  
"Oh yes." I said, smiling once again, this time slightly dreamily.  
  
"I hope it shall not be too disruptive." Galadriel commented mildly.  
  
"No no. It shall be quite pleasant for all parties involved." I smirked. Galadriel eyed me as if contemplating something, and a moment later, I felt her brush against my mind. With an inward grin, I fixed in my mind the image of Glorfindel stretched out on his back, glimmering in the firelight and half asleep, during our short delay on the way here. I saw Galadriel's eyes widen slightly, and I innocently changed the image to my first memory of Glorfindel sitting in that tree in Rivendell on that...interesting night. The brush against my mind withdrew.  
  
"Was there anything else you wished to speak with me about?" I asked, once again far too innocently for even the most naive to believe. There was a pause as Galadriel eyed me with amusement, and I wondered momentarily if she was going to warn Glorfindel. I hoped not. I was going to look forward to turning the tables on him and exposing him to a little good old 21st century flirting.  
  
"No." Galadriel said finally. "No, that was all. I was going to attempt to advise you in how to approach Alkarisil, but that is not needed now. Other things, as well, seem to have lost their purpose to be said."  
  
"Been talking to Gandalf?" I asked blandly. Galadriel just gave me a closed look - meaning, of course, that she had been talking to Gandalf. I would have to steal his hat again. Oh, wait...he was going to lose the damn thing in Moria, and I wouldn't be able to steal it ever again. I frowned slightly, realizing I should have given in to that impulse to snag the hat again as I left Rivendell.  
  
"I believe it is time for supper." Galadriel said, though she cast me a curious look for my sudden frown.  
  
"Ah, food. Wonderful stuff. Too bad I just ate. Must remember to get Glory back for not telling me how close it was to supper." I said absently as I stood along with Galadriel, trying to think of a way of getting Gandalf's hat before he lost it in Lothlórien. Maybe I could scamper off and intercept the Fellowship outside of Moria? I continued my planning as I absently followed Galadriel while she glided out of the room and down into a rather formal-looking feast hall.  
  
Celeborn and Glorfindel were waiting at the hall's entrance, and I was forced to pull myself away from my plotting to get Gandalf's hat for my plotting to get Glorfindel back for not telling me how close to supper it was. Nothing big, of course - it wasn't like he had done me any great harm in not telling me. Hell, I'd probably make a good dent in supper even as it was. But nothing said my getting him back couldn't simply consist of flirting with him all supper and not allowing him a moment to eat. So, as Galadriel sedately took her husband's arm and they headed into the feat hall together, I innocently took Glorfindel's arm, which he looked only mildly surprised at - besides me being truly innocent being a rare thing, I had yet taken the initiative in taking a males arm before it was offered - and followed him in. All my plans were buried, however, in favour of hiding behind Glorfindel, as I saw the one and only Kari giving me an icy look from her place at the table.  
  
"Today sucks." I mumbled, just loud enough for Glorfindel to hear, and he chuckled.  
  
"All of it?" he asked with a teasing twinkle in his eyes.  
  
"Mm, except the late afternoon." I replied with a lop-sided grin. Glorfindel chuckled again, but I could tell that my answer surprised him - he most likely hadn't expected the positive response to his teasing. Oh yes, this was fun. My mood sobered again, though, as we walked past Kari. I half expected her to stick out a foot and trip me, but then reminded myself that while I had maintained my youthful personality and penchant for petty practical jokes and revenges, due mainly to hanging around young human males, Kari's husband was around three thousand years old, and he was most likely the youngest being besides Arwen that Kari had had contact with in the past 800 years.  
  
I was thankful, then, when, upon discovering that Glorfindel and I had seats next to each other, Glorfindel considerately put himself between Kari and me. I shot him a thankful smile, and he gave me a warm smile in return before we turned our attention to other things. Like eating. Or, in my case, talking to Glorfindel and making absolutely sure that he never got two bites of food in his mouth in a row without having to say something in-between. Turned out I wasn't as hungry as I thought, and Glorfindel commented, all too innocently, on my lack of eating towards the end of the meal. From the way he practically shoveled food into his mouth when I looked down at my barely-touched plate, I knew it was a ploy to get him some time to eat.  
  
"Maybe I'm just not hungry for food." I said to him innocently, and then, as he looked over at me, let my eyes rove over what I could see of him. Glorfindel just stared at me for a few seconds, and I could almost literally SEE the thought process going through his head - while I had been subtly flirting with him through all the meal, I'm pretty sure he hadn't picked up on half of it. That was the most forward comment I'd made yet.  
  
Then, as Glorfindel finally worked out the meaning of what I'd said, his face, to my immense satisfaction, took on a slightly pink tinge. Not much, mind you - you'd have to be watching for it to notice it - but I saw it, and grinned. Then I turned to the elf on my other side and amiably started talking to him - wasn't that hard, really. I just asked him his name, and what he did, and he was off and running. Turned out he was one of the major craftelves of Lothlórien, and he was more than happy to discuss jewellery making - his chosen trade - with me for the remainder of the meal. I myself was rather interested, since, while I may not like all that much to wear jewellery - most of the human stuff I had run across just looked stupid on me, anyways - making jewellery is rather fun. You get to play with hot metal, sharp objects, shiny things, and other such fun stuff. And so my attention was occupied for the rest of the meal, leaving Glorfindel to make up for lost time and eat his heart out.  
  
----To be continued...with stars!----  
(And walking!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Erm, yeah, some of you may have noticed that there was some glitches with the posting ofthe last chapter. To start with, it was late. Sorry. Normally I update in the morning, before I scamper off to school (gee, that almost makes me sound energetic...) but...well, I got writing a future chapter. The explanation will come with that chapter. And for those of you that might have checked up on my story when I FINALLY posted it, it had the same 'To be continued...' as Chapter 15. I fixed it shortly afterwards, but all the same...oops. So sorry.  
  
And speaking of the last chapter, I'm amazed how few of you complained over the cliff-hanger! I guess it's because you know I'll update in a few days, anyways? Or something? Eh, whatever. You all get Elvish cloaks for it, whatever the reason. Even those that did complain, because hey, I hate cliffhangers, too. At least when reading them. :)  
  
Also, another revision notice. And guess where it is? Yep, back in Gondor. Chapter 19, to be precise. I added a little scene with Faramir at the beginning of the chapter, and that's it, but I think it builds on character relationships a bit...  
  
Now to go totally off-topic. Or at least, totally away from anything having to do with the story. I'm thinking of starting a LotR FanFiction archive site, and I'm looking around for a name...does anybody have any ideas? I'm, at the moment, at a loss...  
  
Now I'm going to scamper off and do some MORE research for this story...and maybe try and get caught up in my Chemistry, which has been suffering horribly. (Because I don't like to do it, not because of this story) (At least not *exclusively* because of this story)  
  
Until Sunday!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	44. Evening

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Captain Jack Sparrow: It's not hers, savvy?  
  
CS: *beams and hugs Jack* He's mine, though.  
  
Cap'n Jack: Only 'cuz you've handcuffed us together, luv.  
  
CS: Shush, you're not supposed to tell them that! *bops him*  
  
Rachel: Are you really THAT out of ideas that you have to bring in characters from other fandoms for the disclaimer?!  
  
CS: I've done over 40 of these things! Give me a break, hm?! And besides, I lost the key to the handcuffs, so it was either me and Cap'n Jack, or no me at all.  
  
Rachel: I could deal with that last one...  
  
CS: Shush you, or I'll handcuff you to Barbossa's rotting corpse.  
  
Rachel: *twitchspasm*  
  
Cap'n Jack: That's just cruel, luv.  
  
CS: That's the point!  
  
-44: Evening-  
  
After the meal, I found that there was going to be some dancing and socializing in another hall. In all my years in Gondor, there had been one thing I had never done - learned how to dance in a stately manner. I had learned Rohirric jigs and reels when I had been in Rohan because I'd discovered that they were quite close to Scottish and Celtic dancing, which I had loved before coming to Middle-Earth, but they were hardly fit for this occasion.  
  
So I stood off to one side of the dance floor and talked to random Elves - for the most part, all I had to do was ask them about what they did around Lothlórien, or about any random Elf that walked by, and they would talk for several minutes without me having to encourage them any further. I, in turn, usually ended up telling them something about Rivendell, Rohan or Gondor, or talking about the snowstorm on my journey - just the non-personal bits, of course. Mostly it was: we got snowed in, we got so bored we sang, the horses got so hungry they ate our bedrolls, we finally dug out, etc. The horse bit turned out to be a favorite, especially when I ended it with a warning to never room with hungry horses.  
  
Kari was in the dance hall, but I found out after asking that she never danced with anyone but Elrohir, Elladan, or the ruler of a land (IE, Celeborn, Elrond or Thranduil). So she was left doing the same thing as I, only staying on the opposite side of the room from me. She seemed intent on ignoring me as far as I could tell, and I was more than happy to let her.  
  
After probably close to an hour of wandering around the room talking to random Elves, the Elf-woman I was currently talking with - one Lady Silimelumë - suddenly got very quiet, looking over my shoulder with the dreamy expression all females only reserved for looking at Very Hot Males. Since this particular maiden had been asking all about Glorfindel, I knew exactly who was behind me, and turned before he could try and surprise me, arching an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Lady Asira." Glorfindel greeted me with a small bow, then nodded slightly to the Elf-maiden and acknowledged her with a polite "Lady Silimelumë."  
  
"Lord Glorfindel." I said blandly, taking his hint to use formality. I was half tempted, however, to still use his nickname, just to see the response it got out of Lady Silimelumë. I had avoided saying much about Glorfindel, trying not to feed the ladies attraction to my Elf-lord. Yes, I considered him mine now. If I had my way, he would consider himself mine shortly, anyways.  
  
"Lady Asira, I wonder if you might be so inclined as to dance with me?" Glorfindel then asked, greetings out of the way. I paused to do some furious thinking. If I refused, Glorfindel would have no choice but to then ask Lady Silimelumë to dance - she'd probably put herself forward even if he didn't consider it. And this would be a Bad Thing. Also, Glorfindel would be confused as to why I'd talked as I had at dinner, and then refused to dance with him. Maybe if I just explained? But then he'd probably still end out dancing with Lady Silimelumë...why couldn't he have waited until I was talking with someone ELSE? Ah well, explaining was better than confusing him or making a fool out of myself.  
  
"I would be delighted to, Lord Glorfindel, except..." I motioned him to come a little closer, and then went up on tip-toe and whispered in his ear, "I can't dance." I pulled back, and Glorfindel let out an amused laugh.  
  
"That would be a slight problem." he said. "Perhaps you would like to join me for a walk, instead?"  
  
"That I can do." I said with a smile, pleased that Glorfindel had come up with a solution to my problem, then turned to Lady Silimelumë and added, "If you'll excuse me?"  
  
"Of course." she said politely, her eyes fixed on Glorfindel the entire time. I'm quite sure that, had she been human, there would have been a rather possessive tinge to that gaze, and no small amount of envy would have been heard in her voice. As it was, I quickly took Glorfindel's arm and we two beat a hasty retreat - Glorfindel seemed about as eager to get away from Lady Silimelumë as I.  
  
We slipped out of the hall without much notice, and then wandered around the walkways and platforms that made up the above-ground part of Lothlórien. For quite awhile, silence reined as we walked, but it was a comfortable silence. But silences, as I'm sure we have discovered by now, can be quite boring even when they're comfortable, and I don't do boring.  
  
"You and Haldir seemed to know each other quite well." I commented to break the silence.  
  
"Yes, I have known him since he first became Marchwarden." Glorfindel said with what looked suspiciously like a smirk.  
  
"I sense a story." I said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh, not much of one." Glorfindel said with a shrug. "Haldir was a little...full of his position when I first met him. He was quite indignant when I was not the least surprised when he and his men appeared. He soon overcame his indignation, though, and has been trying ever since to find out how I can always tell when he is near, even when he purposely gathers those in the guard that can move the most silently to greet me."  
  
"And let me guess, you're never going to tell him?" I said with a grin, and Glorfindel nodded, also grinning.  
  
"He could not develop or use the skill even if I told him, anyways." Glorfindel said.  
  
"Oh? What is this skill, then?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.  
  
"Ah ah, you shall just go tell Haldir." Glorfindel said, waggling a finger in my direction, and I snorted, half at the sight of Glorfindel waggling a finger at me, and half in disagreement.  
  
"You just said there's no use in telling him, so why would I? Besides, it would be fun to drive him crazy just letting him know that I know and he doesn't!" I grinned then, and Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"Very well." he said, and then leaned close and whispered conspiratorially, "I sense their auras."  
  
"Ooo!" I said, feeling my eyes go wide. "Where'd you learn to do that?"  
  
"Sometime between the Fall of Gondolin and my arrival in Rivendell." Glorfindel said dryly, though with a funny twinge in his voice at the indirect reference to his death.  
  
"Ah. Yeah, I could see Haldir would have trouble developing that skill, then. At least as long as he doesn't go to Helm's Deep." I frowned slightly, and Glorfindel looked at me curiously. "Remember when I told you that there were two different versions of the end of the Third Age that I knew about?" I said, and Glorfindel nodded, "Well, in one of them, Haldir leads a troop of Elves to Helm's Deep to honour the old allegiances, and he ends out dieing there."  
  
"The old allegiances are long since dead and forgotten by most men." Glorfindel said in surprise.  
  
"And most men have never seen Elves and are afraid of them, yes, I know." I said dryly. "It was a rather...hmm...romanticized version? Thus, Arwen went to rescue Frodo instead of you. Built the romantic connection between her and Aragorn."  
  
"Arwen could not have dealt with the Ringwraiths." Glorfindel commented.  
  
"No, but she didn't have to, in that version." I said with a shrug. "She just had to tell Asfaloth to run faster." Glorfindel twitched.  
  
"Asfaloth? She rode Asfaloth?" he asked, and I nodded, grinning up at him.  
  
"And most fangirls were greatly distressed that she not only stole your part but stole your horse, as well." I said. There was a pause.  
  
"Would this perhaps be why Kari took several decades to become friends with Arwen?" Glorfindel asked, and I nodded vigorously.  
  
"Kari absolutely detested that version of Arwen." I said, then gave an innocent smile and added, "And after meeting you, I do, too." Glorfindel looked down at me in amusement.  
  
"You are in fine spirits this evening. I thought today...what was the word you used? 'Sucked'?" I made a choking noise, and then started laughing. Glorfindel? Using modern slang? Far too amusing.  
  
"It did, but it got better." I finally said, still grinning.  
  
"Did it now? And what caused this?" Glorfindel asked. I pondered this for a moment, then decided to have some more fun with Glorfindel and smiled innocently.  
  
"Oh, everything's better after a nice snuggle." I said. Glorfindel's face was quite amusing. He looked as if he was quite sure whether to be amused, flattered, or just take it all in turn, or what. In other words, he was utterly confused. And Haldir, of course, picked that moment to suddenly drop down from the trees onto the platform in front of us. I yelped in surprise.  
  
"Does everyone drop down from trees randomly around here?" I whined as Haldir smirked at me, and then I scowled at him. "Why can't you just walk up to someone like a normal person?!"  
  
"Because it is my duty to be unseen when I approach someone." Haldir replied, as innocent as an Elf can be.  
  
"On the borders." I grumped. "Silly Elf. I think I shall call you 'Hal' for that." Haldir blinked at me.  
  
"'Hal'?" he asked, his horror clear in his voice, and I nodded serenely.  
  
"It is better than 'Glory'." Glorfindel commented blandly from beside me.  
  
"And here I thought you liked your nickname." I said with a pout, turning to Glorfindel.  
  
"As it did not seem I was going to have any choice in it, I decided it best to live with it." Glorfindel said, and I whacked him on the arm.  
  
"Bah." I muttered, and I heard Haldir chuckled.  
  
"I believe that Lady Asira is the only lady who you have ever let hit you without retribution, Glorfindel." he said with a grin in Glorfindel's direction, and thereby earned himself a Glorfindel Scowl.  
  
"It's because I'm special." I said with a beaming grin, and Haldir sighed dramatically.  
  
"And here I thought I might have actually found someone who was a match for Lord Glorfindel in combat." he said sadly.  
  
"Heck no. I can't even beat Elladan." I said, scrunching up my nose.  
  
"You seemed to be doing fairly well the time I saw." Glorfindel commented.  
  
"That was a fluke." I muttered. "Now he beats me as quickly as you did."  
  
"Ah. It is pity that stops him from retaliating, then." Haldir said, nodding sagely.  
  
"Did you interrupt our perfectly nice walk just to insult me, or was there another reason?" I asked, scowling at Haldir.  
  
"There was something, actually." Haldir said, turning serious. "I spoke with Alkarisil today about her Yuletide Feast -"  
  
"I know." I interrupted. "And let me guess, she suddenly got an odd look on her face and dashed off on you?"  
  
"Not exactly, but she did have an odd expression for the last part of her conversation, and she seemed to...stalk...off when we finished speaking." Haldir said, tilting his head to one side thoughtfully. There was silence, and then Haldir arched an eyebrow at me. "Care to explain?"  
  
"No, not really." I said.  
  
"It is a long story." Glorfindel helpfully put in. "And confusing." Haldir arched an eyebrow again, but choose not to push the matter - or at least, not now.  
  
"Very well then. I shall leave you two to your starlit walk, then." he said cheerfully instead, and then with a wave, literally jumped of the edge of the platform. No noise marked his passage, and the silence that his departure had left remained undisturbed for quite some time as Glorfindel and I simply stood there.  
  
I don't know what Glorfindel was thinking about, but myself, I was wondering how Haldir could make such a simple thing as a walk sound so utterly scandalous, and where he had even gotten the IDEA to make it sound scandalous. Then I glanced around and realized there literally was no one else around - or if there was, they were well hidden. We were probably among flets that were used only during the day. I shot a glance at Glorfindel, wondering if he'd headed in this direction on purpose. He seemed deep in thought, frowning slightly at the spot on the platform that Haldir had jumped off of.  
  
"Cheeky fellow." I commented finally, feeling somewhat rattled.  
  
"Mm." was Glorfindel's response. There was a few more moments of silence, then Glorfindel seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts. "Perhaps it is time I escorted you back to your flet?" he suggested, and I nodded politely. I really didn't want to head back, but there really didn't seem to be anything else to do. Haldir had rather ruined the mood...I was going to have to thwap him again. Maybe when the Fellowship showed up - I could snag Boromir's shield and really teach Haldir a lesson about interrupting starlit walks.  
  
Anyways, it took us a good while to get back to our flets, making me realize just how far from the night-time habitations of Caras Galadhon Glorfindel and I had walked. I cast a few suspicious glances at Glorfindel, but as I was currently trying to further this relationship, I didn't make any comment. I'd be darned if he took control of this out of my hands, though. I was barely holding onto my few remaining pieces of sanity as it was.  
  
"Goodnight, Rachel." Glorfindel said with a small smile as we finally reached my flet, and he drew away.  
  
"Thanks for the walk, Glory." I said with a smile, and then I, impulsively, went up on tiptoe and gave Glorfindel a peck on the cheek before disappearing into my flet. As soon as I had closed the door and had left enough time for Glorfindel to leave, I jumped onto my bed and let out a woosh of air. Then I started giggling, and didn't stop for several minutes. If Glorfindel had had any doubts about my new disbelief in Mary-Sues, he was now thoroughly disabused of such doubts.  
  
I smiled to myself as I thought back over the evening, and decided that Kari's decision to not forgive me was probably one of the better things to happen since I had left Gondor 6 months ago. I don't think I could have summoned the ability or courage to be so direct with Glorfindel otherwise - especially without Kari there to urge me on. Out of the two of us, she was the one who always showed her emotions more, and was constantly trying to get me to show my emotions, as well. And now she was doing it again, though entirely unintentionally. Even if she never did forgive me for running off, I'd still be thankful to her for pushing me to such lengths to try and get her to forgive me - especially if the result was what I hoped it would be.  
  
----To be continued...with questions about Rachel's ancestry!----  
(And what Haldir has to do with it!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Ha, I love playing with Haldir's character...as emphasized by the fact that I recently started, out of boredom, to expand on 'Consequences'. I haven't posted anything yet, and am not likely to until I get a good majority (if not all of) it written, because I'm not sure if I'll finish it. But I might, and then I'll post it and Haldir can stop sneaking into my FanFictions.  
  
Haldir: NEVER!  
  
O.o Or maybe not. Oh well...  
  
Anyways. Thanks to all my reviewers, you're all great! I'd give you all some of the brownies I made the other day, but that would be more punishment than thanks. Stupid recipe somehow got messed up...*continues mumbling implications at the tray of rock-hard brownies for several minutes before finally remembering the Author's Note*  
  
Right, um, that's actually it. Short author's note, this time...  
  
See ya Wednesday!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	45. Next

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Not mine in any way, shape or form. Unless you're referring to the plot of the story, the particular way in which the words are put together, or Kari.  
  
...  
  
Rachel: And what about me?  
  
CS: I deny any connection to you whatsoever.  
  
Rachel: *gapes*  
  
Glorfindel: FINALLY the author developed some sense!  
  
Rachel: Hey, don't make me hurt you!  
  
Glorfindel: You couldn't hurt me if you wanted to. You can't even use a sword.  
  
Rachel: I have fists...and booted feet...and teeth...  
  
Glorfindel: *points to self* Balrog slayer, remember? Some fists, booted feet, and teeth don't really worry me all that much.  
  
Rachel: Fine. *leaves*  
  
Glorfindel: *smirks*  
  
Rachel: *reappears with Boromir's shield* *grins evilly*  
  
Glorfindel: Eep.  
  
*WHACK*  
  
CS: *to Rachel* Hey now, why'd you do that?  
  
Erestor: *randomly appearing and peering down at Glorfindel* His nose is never going to look the same...  
  
-45: Next-  
  
I woke the next morning cheery and rested, and spent the day alternately with Glorfindel and Haldir. It was apparently a day off for the Marchwarden, so when Glorfindel became wrapped up in meetings with either Celeborn, Galadriel, or some other important Elf, I usually sought out Haldir. Glorfindel seemed to enjoy my company when I was able to show up, but Haldir kept trying to hand me off to random Lothlórien ladies. I was not going to let him get away with it, however - I hadn't had the chance to get to know and bug Legolas while he and I had both been in Rivendell, but by the Valar I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to drive Haldir insane.  
  
I would have settled for just knowing Haldir, really, but that was pushed out of the way in lieu of the fact that he and I tended to end out trading insults in any conversation we engaged in. We found each other amusing, to be sure, and there was no real vehemence behind our words, but we both found it far too easy to insult the other. Rúmil and Orophin, when I finally met them around mid-afternoon, were positively shocked by how Haldir and I shot insults back and forth. However, as we insulted only each other, and neither of us seemed to mind the insults, Haldir's two brothers simply shook their heads in amusement and let us continue.  
  
"You and Haldir bicker more than we three did when we were younger." Rúmil commented to me at one point, during one of the lulls when Haldir had absorbed himself in a conversation with Orophin, thereby leaving me without a verbal sparring partner.  
  
"Well, I can't help it. He just leaves himself open for it." I said with a shrug. "And besides, it's fun." Rúmil eyed me.  
  
"I dearly hope all Gondorian ladies are not as high-spirited as you. Otherwise the Evenstar shall be in for quite a shock." he said.  
  
"I assure you, I'm the exception to the rule - on everything. I mean, whoever heard of an Elf that barely topped 5'6"?" I asked.  
  
"No one. Which leads to questions about your parentage." Haldir piped up, his conversation with Orophin finished. "There have been a few Naugrim-loving Elves in the past..."  
  
"Only in the past? Then who was that stunted one you disappeared with into the shadows last night?" I asked innocently. (Nevermind that there were no dwarves currently anywhere near Caras Galadhon, or even Lothlórien)  
  
"Your mother." Haldir quipped.  
  
"Which makes you what, my father?" I asked inquisitively. "Now I know where my bad looks come from..." Haldir snorted in a very un-elf-like fashion, but left it at that, apparently unable to come up with a suitable response. I smirked, and the friendly conversations resumed for a short time before Haldir and I were either forced to speak to each other, or said something the other couldn't resist commenting on. Rúmil turned out to be quite interested in Gondorian culture - though that might have just been to stop Haldir and me from squabbling - and so I had plenty to talk about.  
  
Around suppertime, Glorfindel found us and informed me that he and I would be dining with the Lord and Lady of the Wood tonight. So, with a farewell to 'Rúmil, Orophin and Dad', I let myself be led off back to my flet by Glorfindel to change into suitable clothing, having admitted that I had no clue where I was. I had managed to get by during the day by asking random Elves where the person I sought was, but I doubted I would be able to do the same to find my flet. Not to mention asking random elves if they could direct me to my flet was just a little too odd even for me.  
  
"'Dad'?" Glorfindel asked once we were out of Haldir and his brother's earshot, arching an eyebrow at me. "I thought his nickname was 'Hal'?"  
  
"He questioned my parentage." I said with a shrug. Glorfindel blinked, then shook his head in amusement as he got the obviously implied insult. He had had a taste of Haldir and my's squabbling at lunch, which he had managed to eat with me - and Haldir had tagged along to - so he knew to just let it lie.  
  
We made small talk until we reached our flets, and then we separated without a word and disappeared into our flets to change. Glorfindel, when he emerged, seemed to have done nothing more than put on a fresher change of clothes, but a closer look showed a finer cut and slightly better quality of material. I, having had no need to wear fancy dress, had opted for some of my tunics and trousers - which had turned out to be a favorite topic of Haldir's - during the day, and had had to change into the one truly formal dress I had brought with me. It was a deep, dark blue with gold accents, and I was surprised to note that it actually matched Glorfindel's distinctly golden-coloured formal wear. I amusedly wondered by what freak chance that had happened, and then let myself be led off to...wherever we were having supper with Galadriel and Celeborn.  
  
Caras Galadhon was about ten times as confusing as Rivendell, due to the fact that it had several different stories of walkways and such to work through, while Rivendell was, in its highest building, a grand total of three stories. Oh sure, the valley cause some one-story building's floors to be higher than the roof of that three-story building, but it was all connected by sloping hallways and stairs, and far less confusing then Caras Galadhon. I smiled ruefully to myself, amazed that I now found Rivendell to be less confusing than someplace. Elvish architecture was just far to confusing in general.  
  
Finally, Glorfindel stopped in front of a door and knocked, and we were soon admitted inside to find a fairly private dining hall - I say fairly because it was on an open patio, and several flets were within sight. They weren't quite within clear hearing range, but definitely nothing meant to be kept secret would be discussed at dinner.  
  
Galadriel and Celeborn were already waiting for us when we arrived, and they were soon engaging Glorfindel in a conversation about Rivendell, and exchanging inconsequential news. Apparently, with all the official meetings and messages Glorfindel had been going to and giving and receiving, he hadn't had time to give Galadriel and Celeborn any simple news about their grandchildren or son-in-law. I felt a little left out for a while, but then Glorfindel started in talking about some of the things Elladan and Elrohir had gotten up to - which Galadriel claimed no one else from Rivendell would tell her about - and I spent a good while smiling in appreciation for the two twins.  
  
My smile grew wider when I imagined what could have happened if Elladan and Elrohir had showed up in Minas Tirith when Boromir and Faramir had been in their late teens. Gondor would probably be in flaming ruins today, and Mordor well on its way to becoming the Funny Farm of Middle-Earth. I was pulled out of my imaginings by Celeborn, who wanted to know what I found so amusing, and I was obliged to recount some stories of Faramir and Boromir's escapades in Minas Tirith. The fact that I helped the two boys in most of those escapades was completely forgotten.  
  
All in all, it was a surprisingly relaxing meal, showing that Creepy Lady was not always Creepy. They acted just like any married couple, much to my amusement. Of course, once we finished eating, Galadriel decided to be a little nosy and asking Glorfindel and I about our relationship. Covertly, of course, but she did it, and I was tempted to whack her. But I remembered who she was and instead settled on giving her the nickname of 'Gally'. Glorfindel just shook his head when I informed Galadriel of her new nickname, and when Celeborn protested, I informed him that he was now 'Kel'. The two rulers exchanged combined amused and affronted glances, but said no more on the subject, perhaps sensing that any further protests would just cause more trouble for all involved. Galadriel did get the hint and stopped poking into Glorfindel and my's affairs, though.  
  
Eventually, I got bored with the talking, and politely excused myself on the grounds of wanting a walk. Galadriel tried to follow, but with a, "There's no need, Gally," I got her to stay behind. So now I was wandering through Lothlórien again. I considered finding Haldir and driving him insane some more, but I decided to let him be for the rest of today. Of course, once I had decided that, I rounded a corner and just about ran into him as he walked along with some Elf-maiden on his arm. Haldir looked down at me (I hate being short) in surprise, and I could almost see him rallying himself for a round of insults.  
  
"Hiding around corners is a bad habit, Marchwarden." I said, waggling my finger at him, then I stepped around him and continued off down the walkway he and his lady friend had just come up. I could feel his confusion as I walked away, and smiled slightly. I may enjoy trading insults with the Elf, but everybody needs a break from being driven or driving someone insane. And besides, his lady friend would probably be severely weirded out and maybe even truly offended at Haldir and my's insults. So, as I didn't want Haldir poking his nose into MY love life, I wasn't about to poke my nose into HIS. Of course, the maiden could have just been a friend, but I wasn't about to take the chance.  
  
Anyways. My walking continued, and I eventually realized that the flets around me were starting to look a little familiar - at least as much as they could - and a few moments later, I spotted my flet. I made for it, feeling immensely more cheerful at having been able to find my way back to my flet.  
  
When I entered my flet, I almost stepped on a piece of white paper, and when I picked it up, I found it was a formal invitation of some kind - addressed to 'Elenlómë'. I arched an eyebrow and cracked open the seal. I hadn't gone by 'Elenlómë' in ages...and only a few had known me by that name when I had used it.  
  
My other eyebrow shot up to join the first one as I read the invitation - though Haldir had already given an unofficial invitation to Kari's Yuletide feast, I really hadn't expected it to be followed up with an official one now that Kari knew who I was. The addressing, however, was an interesting touch. Kari was obviously saying something with that - probably warning me to be on my best behavior. Which I would be, except for any plans I might concoct on Glorfindel. I grinned mischievously, then skipped over to the table and put the invitation down.  
  
I headed for my things, and quickly found the one book I'd brought with me. It was a journal of sorts, though I didn't often write about things that happened during the day as I usually did. In fact, it was more of a doodle book, with occasional pieces of writing that popped into my head. I didn't use it all that much - it was only an inch or so thick, and I had started it back when Boromir had been born. I was still several dozen pages from the end.  
  
Tonight, though, I didn't plan on filling any of those pages. I simply sat down and absently flicked through what I'd already written and drawn while thinking about how to spend my time in Lothlórien until the Fellowship arrived. I'd need to do something, obviously - not only would I be bored just sitting in my flet or wandering around all day, but it would feel weird to do so. I could probably poke my head into some of the workshops or such things and see if maybe I could learn some sort of craft. Maybe jewellery making? Or maybe I'd get Haldir and Brothers to continue my sword-lessons and try and convince them to take me on border patrols...probably impossible, but if I annoyed enough people, I might end out ordered to do it.  
  
Of course, this would all be aside from driving Haldir crazy, avoiding Kari while making sure she saw me with Glorfindel, and making sure Glorfindel didn't return to Rivendell. I had a sneaking suspicion that I had help from Elrond on that last one, though - Glorfindel had originally been planning on going back to Rivendell within a week or so, but at lunch, he had been talking about finding a messenger to return to Rivendell in his place. Perhaps Elrond had asked him to stay until Kari and I had settled our differences. Or maybe, I though with a smirk, Glorfindel had decided to stay without orders from anyone, due to certain antics of a certain female Elf. He was an Elf-lord in his own right, after all.  
  
I continued thinking up random things I could do in Lothlórien (some of the absolutely outrageous), and eventually my thoughts fuzzed out. Soon I found myself skipping from subject to subject without much coherence, and my last truly coherent thought was that I was falling asleep and really should get up and go to bed. But then I was lost in the world of dreams, where such piddly things like sleeping on beds were of no concern.  
  
I woke the next morning with a start, and my mind took several moments to come into focus. When it finally did, I realized I was still seated, my journal on the floor, and I had an awful crick in my back. More than that, however, my head was telling me that a knock on the door had woken me up, and I pushed myself up out of my chair and went over to the door. Opening it, I found - wonder of wonders - Glorfindel standing there.  
  
"Now THIS is a nice start to a day." I commented, arching an eyebrow. "What's up?"  
  
"The sun." Glorfindel quipped, his eyes determinedly fixed on my face as I stretched sleepily. Inwardly, I smirked. "Far up." Glorfindel added.  
  
"Really?" I asked, and, poking my head out the door, I discovered that yes, indeed, the sun was well up in the sky. At least as far as I could tell from the amount of light and the way the shadows were falling. I couldn't actually SEE the sun, due to the trees and all.  
  
"Yes. And it is high time you got out of bed." Glorfindel said.  
  
"Funny, I don't remember having anything planned to get up FOR." I said somewhat grouchily.  
  
"Well, if you wish to pass on the official tour -" Glorfindel said, starting to turn away, and I grabbed his arm.  
  
"Tour?" I asked, arching an eyebrow, and Glorfindel nodded.  
  
"Apparently Lady Galadriel has heard of how easily you get lost, and suggests that maybe giving you a tour of Lothlórien would, if not stop you from getting lost, then at least introduce you to elves who you can later ask for directions." Glorfindel said innocently.  
  
"I would say I was going to kill Elrond, but the poor peredhil's going through enough." I said with a sigh. "Well, a tour probably WOULD help. Though I need to change before I go." Glorfindel nodded, a small smile twitching at the corner of his mouth, and I turned and went back into my flet, leaving the door open for Glorfindel to come in - it WAS a two-roomed flet, after all. There was the front sitting room, which I assumed Glorfindel now occupied, and then the bedroom, where I now was, finding something comfortable to wear.  
  
I was about to pick a nice green and black dress when my eyes suddenly found my custom-made trousers and tunics. I instantly dismissed the dresses and quickly picked out a set of trousers and a tunic and through them on. I pulled my hair back and tied it in a single ponytail, something I'd seen only rarely among humans, and then returned to the front room. Glorfindel was indeed waiting there - reading the invitation with both eyebrows raised as high as they could go.  
  
"Did you receive this last night?" he asked, looking over at me as I entered.  
  
"Yeah, almost stepped on it coming in my door." I said, and he nodded, frowning slightly as he folded the invitation up again so that 'Elenlómë' could be clearly seen. He shot me a glance, and I shrugged. "I'm taking it as a warning to be good." Glorfindel nodded, and then set the invitation down.  
  
"Shall we go?" he asked, offering his arm, and when I took it, we strolled out of my flet together, off for the grand tour of Lothlórien.  
  
This ought to be fun.  
  
----To be continued...with Kari!----  
(And snooping into Haldir's love life!)  
  
-Random notes:-  
'Naugrim' is an Elven word for 'Dwarf' - and not a polite one, as I recall. 'Peredhil' means 'Half-Elf'. And yes, I know that since Rachel has an automatic translator, these should appear as 'Dwarf' and 'Half-Elf' in the actual text, but I wanted to put them in there in Elvish, and I am the author, so deal. :P  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Hee. The hot springs are going to be coming up soon! *evil grin* Either the next chapter or the one after that, promise! And everybody give Celine Dion a big cheer, because listening to her greatest hits CD disolved the writers block I got after the last chapter...that and caramel pop corn and raspberry iced tea.  
  
Yep, so, thanks to all my reviewers. You're all cool, and the majority of you are strange and insane. Please, though - no more reviews in all caps. *wince* It gives me a headache, and doesn't exactly inspire me to write. I may love reviews, but not THAT much. I will pay much more attention to, and be far more grateful for, reviews that are written either in all lowercase or with correct capitilization, even if they're shorter...  
  
And on that note, thank-you once again to all my reviewers, I hope to see you all again for this chapter, and I'll see you all again on Saturday!  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	46. Tour

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Halbarad: ...  
  
CS: *poke*  
  
Halbarad: *shakes head firmly*  
  
CS: Aw, come on, you said you'd do it!  
  
Halbarad: Only because I was drunk.  
  
CS: So?! You're a Ranger of the North, next in command to Aragorn! You promised, and even if you were drunk at the time, you should stick to your word!  
  
Halbarad: *shakes head*  
  
Aragorn: *popping out of nowhere* She's right, you know. You did promise.  
  
Halbarad: *sighs* Fine. *ahem* *sings* Oooooh, I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK, I work all night and I sleep all day...  
  
CS: *snickers and sits back to enjoy*  
  
(Rachel: What, were you expecting the disclaimer?  
  
Glorfindel: It does bear mentioning, however, that Crimson Starlight owns nothing.)  
  
-46: Tour-  
  
"So he...dumped a bucket of water over the Captain's head..." Glorfindel said, arching an eyebrow at me, and I nodded, giggling slightly as I remembered the look on the Captain's face once the water had finished falling. Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
Glorfindel and I were still - technically - on a tour of Lothlórien. Apparently my little nickname giving the night before hadn't put Galadriel entirely off of snooping into my business. She had been prepared to give me - and the accompanying Glorfindel - a tour personally, but, unfortunately (note the sarcasm), a maid arrived and announced that Lord Celeborn wished to talk to her. She then proclaimed that since Glorfindel knew Lothlórien fairly well, he could start the tour and she'd catch up and continue it later.  
  
That had been three or four hours ago, before we had gotten a lunch at the kitchens and set out again.  
  
Since then, Glorfindel had shown me to whole myriad of places, telling me what they were for and other such stuff. Did I remember any of it? No. It really wasn't my fault, though - when the briefly jealous glances of other Elf maidens wasn't making me smirk in satisfaction, the thought of Glorfindel working as a tour guide in Disney World or someplace else back on Earth was making me struggle not to laugh.  
  
I think Glorfindel realized after the first hour or so that I wasn't paying attention, because he started asking me questions, instead of just telling me stuff and letting me nod and make interested noises in all the right spots. Which was how we got onto our current topic.  
  
We had started going through the practice grounds - someplace I would have paid attention to even if Glorfindel hadn't been asking questions - and Glorfindel had asked about Boromir and my weapons training. That, somehow, had given way to the topic of Faramir and Boromir's antics, which led to the retelling of the particular prank that had driven the then-Captain of the Gondorian Royal Guards to gallop out of Minas Tirith a week later, heading west, and leaving all his belongings, along with a nasty letter, behind. It involved a few pigs, some alcohol, a dress, a mischievous bar wench (not me), and was topped off with a bucket of water.  
  
All in all, it had been quite humourous at the time, and even Denethor had had to closet himself in his office for half an hour when he'd finally heard the entire tale. He had, of course, forbidden the boys to carry out anymore pranks, and given them chores, but as per usual when I was around, Faramir and Boromir ended out only doing about an eighth of their chores. It was amazing, really, how willing the lads in the lower rings of the city were to do work in the palace - any work. It sounds like we took horrible advantage of them, I know, but the boys honestly wanted to do the work, and I had enough money stored up over the years I was always able to pay the lads something. To this day, I only had to appear in the lower rings of the city wearing a dark purple cloak with a big, floppy hat, and I'd be accosted by several dozen boys wanting to go up to the palace.  
  
Anyways. While Glorfindel and I were still recovering from our mirth over the retelling of the tale, we wandered through a copse of trees and found ourselves at the archery range. We stopped walking as I discovered, to my utter surprise, that Kari was practicing on the range - in what looked like an identical match to a tunic and trousers I'd seen Elladan wearing not long ago. I arched an eyebrow and wondered if Elrohir even noticed the clothes were missing, or if he'd simply stopped caring when his wife stole his clothes.  
  
"She has become quite good at archery." Glorfindel commented, glancing down at me, as he spotted who was practicing.  
  
"And I still suck worse than Boromir at it." I said, then pondered for a moment. "Actually, with Boromir's most recent revelations about archery practice, I'm probably around the same as him."  
  
"Oh?" Glorfindel asked with interest.  
  
"Apparently the only reason Boromir's target ever got any holes in it was that Faramir occasionally yoinked one of Boromir's arrows and shot at his target." I replied with a small grin. Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"Boromir and Faramir are sounding more and more like Elladan and Elrohir with every story you tell." he said.  
  
"Yes, I had noticed that." I replied. "It's too bad I'll never be able to get all four of them together."  
  
"Why not?" Glorfindel asked curiously, then immediately held up a hand to stop me from answering. "Do not answer. I have a feeling it will result in you revealing something you should not."  
  
"Damn straight." I said with an emphatic nod.  
  
"Lord Glorfindel! Care for a competition?" one of the other archers on the range had spotted Glorfindel, and now all heads - including Kari's - turned towards us in interest. With the strangely eager looks on their faces, I took it that they rarely got someone new to compete with.  
  
"I am afraid I do not have my bow or arrows with me." Glorfindel declined politely.  
  
"I am sure someone would let you use theirs." another elf commented, and the nods of the other archers backed him up. Glorfindel, however, chuckled and shook his head.  
  
"No, I know better than to use another's bow and arrows in a competition." he said. "Perhaps some other time." The archers looked disappointed, but nodded and turned back to their archery - all except Kari. She had been looking at me and Glorfindel intently throughout the short exchange, which I doubt she'd even heard. Her stare was making me uncomfortable, so I discreetly gave Glorfindel a little push, directing him away from the archery grounds. Glorfindel didn't seem to mind.  
  
"So is there any place in Lothlórien you HAVEN'T shown me yet?" I asked once I felt the prickling between my shoulders that was Kari's gaze go away. Glorfindel thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled, causing me to have to force myself to concentrate extremely hard to pay attention to his answer.  
  
"There are a few places." he said, and then led me away from Caras Galadhon and into the forest surrounding it.  
  
"I hope you know where you're going." I said after a few moments, peering around and knowing I was thoroughly lost.  
  
"I know." he said, shooting me another smile, and I had to do a little hop-skip to stop myself from falling over. That elf should not be allowed to smile unless all females within seeing range were sitting down already.  
  
Anyways. We tramped through the forest for awhile in a comfortable silence, until I suddenly realized that the air was getting rather - humid. And a little hot. I glanced curiously at Glorfindel, wanting to ask him where we were going, but something telling me he wouldn't answer even if I did. The humidity and heat were familiar, though - they reminded me of baths back home. But not quite. There was that extra little smell, as if -  
  
I abruptly stopped, my eyes widening, as I remembered where I'd come across that sort of humidity and heat before.  
  
"Lothlórien has a HOT SPRING?!" I exclaimed gleefully, and Glorfindel looked back at me with amusement.  
  
"Yes." was his reply, and with a squeal, I scampered after him as he continued walking. A short time later, however, he stopped and motioned for me to stay here.  
  
"Someone may be IN the hot springs." Glorfindel explained with a small smile as I looked at him curiously. Then he gave me a mischievous grin before disappearing into the trees. I shook my head with amusement - hot springs? He was most definitely trying to turn the tables on me again.  
  
It occurred to me, then, that normally, at least in Middle-Earth, it was usually the male trying to attract the female, not the other way around. I grinned. Glorfindel was just following nature's path, then. Well, he was acting as if he was well and truly hooked, so I suppose I could just let nature take it's course. I skipped around the tree Glorfindel had disappeared into once, then sat down to wait for him. I didn't have long to wait, as he arrived not long later, grinning like a madman.  
  
"Did you lose your marbles into the hot springs?" I asked, peering at him. Glorfindel looked at me in momentary confusion, then brushed it off and continued grinning.  
  
"Apparently Haldir has found a lady friend since I was last here." he said. I looked at him for a moment, then started cackling.  
  
"Hah! That would be the lady I saw him with last night, I bet." I said with a snigger.  
  
"Oh? Who was this lady?" Glorfindel asked curiously. I shrugged.  
  
"Didn't stop to ask. You know how most of Haldir's and my conversations end up." I said. "She was blonde, though." Glorfindel rolled his eyes.  
  
"Most female elves in Lothlórien are." he said.  
  
"Except for me." I said with an impish grin, and Glorfindel nodded.  
  
"Except for you." he said, and gave me a smile that I KNOW would have caused my legs to give out if I had been standing up. As it was, it left me temporarily without a working brain, so I stayed silent, and Glorfindel came and sat down beside me.  
  
"There are some other natural places in Lothlórien I could show you to if you wish." he said.  
  
"Lothlórien IS a natural place." I managed to respond, despite the fact that when Glorfindel had sat down, his arm had somehow ended up behind my back in a way that was almost - but not quite - wrapped around my waist. "At least compared to Minas Tirith." I added, forcing my mind to start working again.  
  
"I had heard that Minas Tirith was a green city." Glorfindel commented with a slight frown.  
  
"It was, once, I suppose." I said absently. "But the green was fading even when I first arrived. Now it lives up to its name as the White City. Hardly any green plants, except in the carefully tended gardens of the wealthy."  
  
"That shall have to be changed." Glorfindel announced, and I nodded.  
  
"And Rohan needs to get back to being its cheery ol' self." I said emphatically, and Glorfindel nodded.  
  
"So you have been to Rohan, as well?" he asked, and I nodded again.  
  
"Every once and awhile. Kept getting jobs in the kings stables." I replied, then smiled ruefully. "Can't imagine why." Glorfindel laughed.  
  
"No matter how one tries to hide it, one cannot fool the creatures of the earth about their Elven blood." he said.  
  
"Indeed." I replied. "The damned horses just walked over to me and obeyed me without a qualm, even if they were the most troublesome horse in the entire pasture."  
  
"Well, you ARE a natural with horses, as Liltalen and Asfaloth have shown." Glorfindel commented.  
  
"Asfaloth?" I asked curiously. "How did HE show that I was a natural with horses?" Glorfindel quirked an eyebrow upwards.  
  
"You think Elvish horses let just anyone ride them, even if they have met them before?" he asked. "The only reason Angahonda let me ride him was because Asfaloth was injured not long ago, and Elrond let me use Angahonda until Asfaloth recovered."  
  
"Oh." I said, blinking in confusion. A natural with horses, eh? Not long ago, I would have taken that as a sure-fire sign that I was turning into a Mary-Sue. But now...now it was just a skill I'd never realized I'd had. Not like I'd had much chance to discover it - I think I'd been around a total of four horses back on earth, and two were an aunt's high-strung Thoroughbreds who my parents wouldn't let me all that close to.  
  
There was a comfortable silence for a time, and then suddenly I heard voices, coming from the direction of the hot springs. I shared a glance at Glorfindel, and as one, we both stood and hauled ourselves up into the tree. I had to have a little help from Glorfindel - learning how to climb trees was not something I had done in the past 800 years - but we both got up there in time for Haldir and the lady I had seen him with last night to stroll into view. Wet clothes draped over Haldir's shoulder, and their wet hair, showed that they had just been swimming, not engaging in...other activities, like I had supposed.  
  
Haldir, it was to be noted, was wearing nothing but trousers and boots - hence the wet clothes over his shoulder, instead of being carried carefully as not to get his clothes wet - while his lady was fully dressed and seemed to be hoarding the rest of his clothes. At least, Haldir occasionally made snatches for the bundle that she was holding in the hand farthest from him. It was actually rather cute to watch. It showed a nice side of Haldir that my relationship - or lack there of - with him had never shown.  
  
Glorfindel and I stayed silent as Haldir and his lady friend walked underneath our tree, and until they were well out of sight. There was a brief scuffle when, just after they'd gone underneath our tree, Haldir managed to catch hold of his clothes, but thankfully his lady knew when to leave well enough alone, and once Haldir got his clothes, she simply made a slightly disappointed face while he slipped them on, then handed her the wet clothes to hold. She did so carefully, making sure they didn't get her dress wet, as they continued on off to Caras Galadhon.  
  
Once they were out of sight, Glorfindel and I dropped down from the tree and shared amused glances. Glorfindel's seemed infinitely more amused than the simple encounter could account for - he was grinning - so I arched an eyebrow at him in a silent question.  
  
"The last time I was in Lothlórien, Lady Valinlot was completely besotted with our dear Marchwarden." he said, his grin growing slowly. "Yet Haldir did not even know her name."  
  
"Oh ho. How interesting. I wonder how the change came about?" I asked curiously.  
  
"I shall have to ask her later. I am curious as to how it happened, as well." Glorfindel replied with amusement.  
  
"Indeed." I said. There was a pause.  
  
"Well, I can show you the hot springs now. Or we could head back to Caras Galadhon..." Glorfindel said.  
  
"Hot springs!" I squealed happily, and latched onto Glorfindel's arms. He laughed, and then headed in the direction Haldir and Lady Valinlot had appeared from.  
  
----To be continued...with hot springs!----  
(Need I say more?)  
  
-Amusing Tidbit:-  
'Valinlot'? Means 'Happy Flower'. *grin* Yes, I find that amusing! Who wouldn't, especially when you consider her relationship to Haldir?!  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Be kind to your author, she had to re-write some scenes in this chapter three times as she did more research on Elven customs...(certain reviewers are hereby labelled Evil In A Good Way for pointing me towards books that had details on Elvish customs, which in turn lead me to spend an evening watching the Extended Edition of the Fellowship of the Ring and wondering whether I should go by Tolkien canon or not, which in turn lead to the decision that yes, I should, which in turn lead to re-writing.) And anyways, I'm updating about 12 hours early...because otherwise I won'te be able to update for about...oh, 18 hours or so.  
  
In other news, there's something I'd like to address in this Author's Note that seems to be of growing importance to you reviewers. It started out with just one or two of you per chapter. Then it became half a dozen or so. And last chapter, I swear half of the reviews I got mentioned something about it. What is this 'it'? It is the chapter not being up when FanFiction.Net says it's up.  
  
Don't review in a panic when this happens thinking that something's happened to the chapter and you won't get to read it. You will, trust me - this is all just part of what I like to call 'FanFiction.Net's Weird Chapter Posting Dance'. It does all sorts of funky stuff during this time, including showing the chapter in the story summary, but not having a link to it in the story, having a link to the chapter but saying it doesn't exist, and so on and so forth. It aggravates me no end, as well, when I run into this in my own readings, but if you'll just wait a a few hours, it should fix itself up and you'll be able to read the chapter.  
  
It does touch me, however, that the fact that you can't get to my newest chapter causes you all to get so worried. It's wonderful to know my story is so appreciated by you all, and I thank every single one of you, reader and reviewer or just reader - especially any new ones. I'd 'give' you all something, but I think I've just about exhausted everything I could 'give', and anyways, I have a feeling you'd all appreciate me just going and working on the next chapter more than any cyber-goodie I could give you, right? :)  
  
And with that, I'm off to write more - see you on Tuesday!  
~Crimson Starlight  
  
(PS: If you ask a question in a review that you expect to have answered and doesn't have to do with the plot of the story? Make sure you leave a way for me to reply. I like to respond to reviews occasionally, but I'm not about to go searching way the heck and gone when, if it's your first review and you're anonymous, you don't leave an email, or if, when you leave a signed review, you don't let your email be shown in your profile.) 


	47. Springs

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: First off, you should all know by now that I own nothing, so don't even think for a moment that I do. And second off, we have a rather 'special' guest for this disclaimer...  
  
HurriCanine: HI!  
  
CS: Everybody say hi!  
  
Cast of TGotG: ...hi?  
  
HurriCanine: *wanders around shaking peoples hands*  
  
CS: Right...uh, now that that's done...can I have Boromir back?  
  
HurriCanine: Sure! Here ya go! *pulls Boromir out of nowhere and hands him back to CS*  
  
CS: Righty-o! The Fellowship shall be whole once again!  
  
Boromir: I feel so used...  
  
CS: At least you have it better off than Halbarad...  
  
Halbarad: *still singing from the last chapter* I cut down trees. I eat my lunch. I go to the lavatory. On Wednesdays I go shoppin', And have buttered scones for tea...I cut down trees. I skip and jump. I like to press wild flowers. I put on women's clothing, And hang around in bars...I cut down trees. I wear high heels, Suspendies, and a bra. I wish I'd been a girlie, Just like my dear Papa...  
  
CS: *evil grin* Again, Halbarad! And this time try it with an English accent...  
  
Halbarad: I don't even know what an English accent IS!  
  
CS: So? SING!  
  
-47: Springs-  
  
As Glorfindel and I continued to walk along, the air got heavier and more humid, making breathing more difficult. Finally, though, the temperature and humidity seemed to even out, and shortly after that, we broke through some bushes and I found myself confronted with several inter-connecting pools of steaming water. The water was clear, when I could see it through the steam, and the pools looked to be no more than five or six feet at their deepest points - and a few inches at the shallowest. Except for that one that seemed to be the source of all the other pools - judging from its dark colour, it was quite deep. Probably the actual spring itself.  
  
After taking this all in, I let go of Glorfindel and scampered over to the nearest pool. I sat down at the edge, pulled off my boots, and dangled my feet in the water. Glorfindel came over and looked down at me in amusement as I sighed.  
  
"It's warm!" I exclaimed happily as I looked up at him.  
  
"You seem to have a strong dislike of cooler temperatures." Glorfindel commented, sitting down beside me - though he declined to pull off his boots and put his feet in the water.  
  
"Yeah, another hangover from being human. I tended to get cold really quickly." I said, making a face. "To this day I will take any chance I can get to be warm."  
  
"So I've noticed." Glorfindel said with a smirk. I just shrugged and shot him an innocent smile.  
  
"Y'know," I said thoughtfully after a moment's silence, "I haven't gone swimming since I first came to Middle-Earth."  
  
"Really?" Glorfindel asked, arching an eyebrow, and I nodded.  
  
"Never had time to when I was in Rivendell, and I couldn't very well go swimming once I was out of Rivendell - I had to have something to cover my ears, and leaving a scarf on your head when you go swimming just starts questions." I replied, and then eyed the farthest, deepest pool. "How deep do you think that pool is?"  
  
"No one has yet touched the bottom." Glorfindel replied, then frowned slightly and added, "Well, Elrond has. But he cheated and used Vilya." Both my eyebrows shot up.  
  
"He...cheated...?" I asked. "This is a story I want to hear..."  
  
"Oh, there is not much to tell." Glorfindel said, waving a hand through the air dismissively. "On one of the few times when Elrond came to Lothlórien with Celebrían and Arwen, and I came with them, we started talking about how deep that pool was. I can not remember why, now. But then Elrond decided to find out, so he dove down, using Vilya's powers to keep himself from running out of air. He was underwater for a good twenty minutes. Celebrían was quite worried when he finally surfaced. And soaked all those waiting." I blinked.  
  
"Why does people being soaked and Elrond not fit in my brain unless Elrond's the one being soaked?" I asked, and Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"You really should have stayed for longer, Rachel." Glorfindel said, giving my nose a tweak. "Elrond is much more fun when Celebrían's around."  
  
"Hmm, that I'll believe when I see it." I replied. "So, until I get to Valinor, I'll try and find out for myself how deep that pool is." I jumped up at that and headed over to the pool.  
  
"There is no way you will reach the bottom." Glorfindel said, standing and following me. "And you will soak your clothes."  
  
"You almost sound as if you don't WANT to see me all wet and panting." I said with a mischievous grin. Glorfindel visibly twitched, his face gaining a distinctly pink tinge, and I laughed. "It's what, a half-hour walk back to Caras Galadhon, max? I think I can survive that far with wet clothes. Of course, I could always go swimming without them." Glorfindel opened his mouth to respond to that, then abruptly shut it and paused for a moment, obviously searching for a different response than the one he had been about to say.  
  
"Or you could wait until a later date to attempt to find out the depth of the pool." he said finally.  
  
"I could, but I'm here now, and I like to liiiiive in the moment!" I replied cheerfully. Then I quickly pulled off my belt, not wanting to ruin the leather - it was only keeping my tunic down, anyways (form-fitting trousers and all) - shoved it into Glorfindel's hands, and then backed up and made a running jump into the pool. I did what was probably my best dive ever - this having been the first time I'd dove when in possession of Elvish grace - and swam down with all my might.  
  
Despite how strongly I kicked, however, there was still nothing but dark blue water beneath me when I knew I needed to head up or I wouldn't make it back in time. So, regretfully, I did a half-somersault and kicked upwards. It turned out I had gone a lot farther down than I had thought - the light coming from the surface was just a pinprick above me. Momentary panic shot through me, but I forced it aside and concentrated on kicking upwards.  
  
I still ran out of air before reaching the surface, however. I managed to hold in the urge to draw in a breath underwater, but the instant I broke the surface, I gasped in large lungfulls of air. When I recovered, I looked up on the bank to find a very pale-looking Glorfindel seemingly rooted to the spot. I arched an eyebrow at him.  
  
"I so want to steal Vilya." I commented, and that seemed to shake Glorfindel out of his shock. His face took on an almost frightening combination of fear, concern and anger, and I carefully paddled my way to the opposite side of the pool from him.  
  
"That -" he said firmly, "Was a very foolish thing to do."  
  
"Stupid, too." I agreed, shrugging.  
  
"And this does not bother you?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"There are a lot of foolish things I've done in my life." I replied calmly. "Besides, this was fun."  
  
"Most foolish things are." Glorfindel said, pursing his lips. Then he walked over to the side of the pool I was at and stuck his hand out to me. "Come out of there." I glanced at the hand, then up at Glorfindel. Shrugging, I grabbed his hand and let myself be pulled out, resisting the urge to pull Glorfindel in instead - for which I am eternally grateful. Because the instant I was steady on my feet, I found myself pulled into a big bear hug, which was promptly followed up by being kissed quite soundly on the lips.  
  
"You realize you were under there for more than five minutes?" Glorfindel said when he pulled away, cupping my face in his hands and looking at me intently.  
  
"Uhh..." I blinked. "Yes?" Glorfindel arched an eyebrow at me. "No. Maybe? Sorry, you just fried my brain." Glorfindel threw back his head and laughed. The sound made the gears in my brain start working again, and I peered down into the pool as Glorfindel's words registered.  
  
"Over five minutes, eh?" I said, and Glorfindel, now recovered from his mirth, nodded. "Definitely going to steal Vilya next time I see Elrond." I paused for a moment as I recalled that all the Elven rings lose their power when the One Ring is destroyed. "No, that won't work. Bah. Maybe a dash to Rivendell and back before -"  
  
"Rachel?" Glorfindel interrupted, and I looked over at him.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Stop talking and giving away the future." Glorfindel said, and kissed me again to emphasize his point.  
  
"Y'know, of the two methods already discovered of stopping me from talking about the future, I like this one better." I said, a mite breathlessly, when the kiss finally ended.  
  
"Me too." Glorfindel replied, giving me a light kiss on the nose. "Now let's get back to Caras Galadhon. Your clothes are wet, and it IS December."  
  
"Y'know, I hadn't noticed." I commented, looking down at what I could see of the sopping-wet shoulder of my tunic.  
  
"I have." Glorfindel muttered, and I realized he was half soaked from pulling me out of the pool. I glanced behind Glorfindel and saw a pool, then I glanced up at Glorfindel. I grinned.  
  
"Well maybe you should get warm then, hm?" I said innocently, and Glorfindel's eyes barely had time to widen before I pushed him solidly into the pool. Glorfindel, the little bugger, once he lost his balance, purposely reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me in with him. And yes, I know it was on purpose and not just an attempt to stop from falling in. I saw his evil grin, thankyouverymuch.  
  
Anyways, I crashed into the pool and sunk to the bottom - all of four feet below the surface - before coming spluttering to the surface. Glorfindel, to my eternal annoyance, was waiting there, calmly crouching in the water so only his head was above, and looking very amused. I glared at him.  
  
"Why can't I win against you?" I asked. Glorfindel shrugged.  
  
"Maybe you have a soft spot for me and keep letting me win." he said.  
  
"Soft spot my arse." I snorted. Glorfindel looked at me in momentary surprise, and so was caught off guard when I pushed him over into the water again. When he came up, spluttering, I eyed him, waiting until I was sure he was paying attention before I spoke again. "Whatever I have for you, my dear Glorfindel, is most definitely more than a 'soft spot'."  
  
"You are always a surprise, you know that Rachel?" Glorfindel said after a moment.  
  
"So are you, when you set your mind to it. I certainly didn't expect to get led to hot springs, or get bear hugged when coming out of said hot springs, and we all know what that kiss did to my brain." I quipped in reply.  
  
"Mm, yes - fried it." Glorfindel said with a small smile. "Which means you should not be able to move fast enough to get away from me, yes?" He tilted his head to one side, grinning mischievously, and I eeped before going as fast as I could to the other side of the pool...which was a grand total of four feet away.  
  
"Why did the small pool have to be behind you?" I whined as I suddenly found myself pinned.  
  
"Because it is next to the well-spring?" Glorfindel replied with a smile.  
  
"Smarty pants." I muttered, and then added randomly, "I miss Smarties...and just plain chocolate for that matter."  
  
"You know, I seem to recall another time not too long ago when you were acting just as random and we were in this same position." Glorfindel commented.  
  
"Only I was acting in random ways to try and get you to leave. And you ended out kissing me." I said.  
  
"You kissed back." Glorfindel retorted. "And afterwards you galloped out of Rivendell on my horse." There was a pause.  
  
"We're not in Rivendell, and I don't know where my horse is, let alone yours." I said arching an eyebrow. Glorfindel's response was to kiss me again, and I kissed back eagerly.  
  
----To be continued...with...ooooh! Yummy!----  
(Can I help it if I'm easily distracted by mental pictures?)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Um...Author's Note...right......I have none? Oh wait, yes I do! 'The Games of the Gods' has been archived at Kedi's window sill! (http://privat.bluezone.no/kedi/)  
  
...  
  
Other than that, that's it, really.  
  
So, thank-you once again to each and every reviewer - You're all wonderful! Even if you do kidnap characters and refuse to give him back unless I put you in the disclaimer...*cough* Anyways. See y'all Friday!  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	48. Boots

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
.  
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.  
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.  
  
Glorfindel: *blink* Oh, another disclaimer?  
  
Rachel: But we just did one...  
  
CS: So? It's my birthday! So I'm pulling a hobbit and giving all my reviewers a present!  
  
Bilbo: It's not 'a hobbit', it's a good idea!  
  
CS: ...whatever. The point is, I'm updating early! Really early...  
  
Rachel: So are you going to actually do a disclaimer, or just go on about it being your birthday?  
  
CS: Hmm...I suppose I should do the disclaimer. I own nothing, though if anybody wants to give me even a little piece of it for my birthday, go right ahead!  
  
-48: Boots-  
  
That little kiss probably would have gone somewhat further if it hadn't been for the growing realization that Glorfindel seemed to keep losing his grip on the rocky floor. While this did result in him being pushed further up against me, it was cause for concern, so I pushed him away slightly and shot him a curious look.  
  
"Boots." Glorfindel replied sheepishly, and then hoisted himself up on the bank to pull his boots off. They made funny squelching noises as they let go of his feet, and when he set them up on the bank, the normally stiff boots flopped over into limp piles of leather. I glanced over at Glorfindel.  
  
"I am torn between liking how this day has turned out and wishing for the sake of my - and your - clothing that you had waited to jump into that pool." he commented.  
  
"Lord Glorfindel, Lady Asira. What a surprise." the smirking voice caused me to turn, and I found, as I had figured, Haldir standing at the edge of the springs. Fully dressed and without his lady, this time.  
  
"Hey Dad." I replied boredly.  
  
"Whatever are you two doing here?" Haldir asked, his smirk still in place.  
  
"Less than you and Lady Valinlot were a short time ago, I'm sure." I quipped in reply. "At least, Glorfindel still has his tunic on." Haldir turned slightly pink.  
  
"And I wonder how long it will take for him to mysteriously lose that?" Haldir answered.  
  
"Y'know, if I were you, I would really drop this topic and leave." I said calmly, casually picking up one of Glorfindel's sopping wet - and therefore very heavy - boots and eyeing Haldir.  
  
"Oh, is this a sore topic for the Gondorian lady?" Haldir asked innocently.  
  
"No, this is simply not a very good time to bother Lady Asira," I replied. "Because if you continue to bother her, she might get Very Pissed Off. That has resulted, in the past, in Rohirric Princes being tied naked to their horses and sent galloping through the streets of Edoras." I narrowed my eyes slightly as I remembered the prick who had decided that, since I was rejecting his REPEATED advances for some fun in the hay, I had questionable preferences in romantic partners. On most days, I wouldn't have cared, but he chose to start spreading the rumour the day after one of my favorite horses had died, and thus I lost my temper rather spectacularly when I heard of it.  
  
"Alternatively, Galadriel and Celeborn might discreetly be told about their Marchwarden's extreme lack of manners." Glorfindel said pointedly from behind me. Haldir paled slightly from the double threat, and I smiled innocently, suspecting that Glorfindel was doing the same.  
  
"Very well." Haldir muttered, and turned on his heel and left.  
  
"I wonder what he came for." Glorfindel wondered once Haldir was gone.  
  
"I dunno, but I'm very much going to whack him with Boromir's shield when the Fellowship gets here in a couple of months." I said, pulling myself out of the pool to sit beside Glorfindel, where he still sat on the bank from taking his boots off.   
  
"The Fellowship is not planning on passing through here." Glorfindel said, giving me a strange look.  
  
"Er, I think I need to be shut up again..." I said, avoiding Glorfindel's gaze.  
  
"That I can do something about." Glorfindel said, and, wrapping his arms around my waist, pulled me into his lap and kissed me thoroughly. The kiss was quite enjoyable, and my arms somehow managed to wind themselves around Glorfindel's neck without me even telling them to do so, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.  
  
At that point, a particularly cold, if small, gust of wind decided to blow across the hot springs, stealing the warmth of the steam and sending shivers up and down my spine. Glorfindel smiled against my lips as he felt me shiver, and without a word, slid off the bank and into the warm water of the pool. I sighed against his lips at the warmth, and broke our kiss only to kiss along his jawline, eventually ending up at his ear.  
  
There, I paused, and a wicked grin crossed my face as I wondered if Elven ears really were as sensitive as many of the fangirls back home believed. So, experimentally, I kissed the tip of Glorfindel's ear, and then licked it. A funny sound, almost like a growl, came from deep in Glorfindel's throat, and I decided that yep, the fangirls were right. In fact, I found out firsthand as I felt a sudden nip at my ear, and a warmth that had nothing to do with the hot springs started to spread through my body.  
  
I found my mouth engaged in kissing Glorfindel again, and this time let my hands wander during the kiss. They came into contact with Glorfindel's belt, and I smiled as I remembered my wonderings about what Glorfindel would look like shirtless. I felt Glorfindel stiffen slightly as I - surprisingly quickly - undid his belt (once again, it was a matter of keeping his tunic down, not his trousers up) and tossed it up on the bank.  
  
"Rachel -" he said, pulling away slightly, and I put a finger to his lips before he could say anything else.  
  
"I think your tunic needs to dry a little before we go back to Caras Galadhon, hm?" I said innocently, and pulled my finger away and kissed Glorfindel before he could come up with a suitable response. Actually, it's rather funny how easily Glorfindel forgot the whole thing when I was kissing him...at least, I assume he forgot, because he did give a small start of surprise when I slid my hands up his tunic, across his bare chest.  
  
I decided that if his chest looked anything like what it felt like, my brain was probably never going to work properly again. And did I care? Hell no. Anyways, I slowly worked Glorfindel's tunic upwards until it was bunched up under his arms, then quickly broke away and gave a light nip at Glorfindel's ear. The moment of surprise and reaction to that from Glorfindel was enough from me to pull his tunic off entirely, and I tossed it up on the bank.  
  
"Yummy." I commented, glancing over Glorfindel's bare chest.  
  
"I'm glad you approve." Glorfindel said, smiling lazily and pulling me closer to him once again so he could trail kisses along my jawline and down my neck.  
  
"Hard not to approve of you." I said softly in his ear, which I then kissed.  
  
"The same could be said of you." Glorfindel said, his voice rather reminiscent of right before our very first kiss. He pulled his attention away from where it had settled on alternately kissing and licking at my throat and kissed me on the lips once again.  
  
"I rather thought it would not take long."  
  
"Haldir, I am going to kill you!" I snarled, pushing Glorfindel away and hauling myself out of the pool.  
  
"I'm not here by my own choice, believe me!" Haldir practically squeaked, scurrying backwards as I stalked towards him.  
  
"You could have held off on the comment then, hm? Polite coughs or obvious branch breaking work wonders." I growled.  
  
"Rachel, calm down." Glorfindel's arm abruptly wrapped around my waist, stopping me from closing anymore of the gap between Haldir and I. Haldir was eyeing me nervously as I gave him an evil glare.  
  
"What did you come here for, Haldir?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"Lady Galadriel told me to find you, Lord Glorfindel, and inform you that a messenger has been found to go to Rivendell." Haldir replied.  
  
"That's the ONLY reason?" I asked dangerously, and Haldir edged away from me warily.  
  
"I do what my Lady commands, and she said to find you NOW, Lord Glorfindel." Haldir replied. "I was to find you, inform you, and bring you back with me."  
  
"Glory, can I PLEASE kill, or at least maim, either Galadriel, Haldir or Elrond?" I pleaded.  
  
"No, and you know that better than I." Glorfindel replied, kissing me quickly on the cheek before turning his attention back to Haldir. "Very well, go tell Lady Galadriel I shall be along shortly. I need to change first." A small, knowing smirk crept onto Haldir's face as I pulled myself out of Glorfindel's waist-encircling arms and walked back over to the pool sulkily.  
  
"Of course, m'Lord." Haldir said smoothly, then turned and left. I glanced over at the Marchwarden's retreating back, then down at the soggy boots that were now at my feet. With an evil grin, I grabbed one of Glorfindel's boots and chucked it at Haldir's head. It connected with a satisfying thump, and I smiled as Haldir let out several inventive curses, rubbing the back of his head, before shooting me a glare and stalking away.  
  
"Now my boot is going to be covered in dead leaves and dirt." Glorfindel said with a sigh.  
  
"Then go barefoot." I replied, eyeing Glorfindel as he walked over to where his boot had landed and picked it up. He looked at the boot, now a mass of dead leaves, mournfully for a few moments, then sighed and walked back over to me. I decided then that I really forking wished I'd grabbed Kari's Polaroid camera on my dash out of the house back on Earth. What I wouldn't have given to be able to preserve the sight of Glorfindel walking towards me in nothing but his trousers.  
  
Then it occurred to me that it was quite likely I wouldn't have to preserve the sight, as I might be seeing it in real life rather often if I didn't screw things up. That thought made me grin as I happily skipped over to where my boots still were, over by the first pool. I pulled on my boots, and then wandered over to the well-spring to search for my belt, which Glorfindel had evidently dropped while I had been diving.  
  
A loud 'BAH!' from Glorfindel brought my attention back to him, and I turned to find him holding up with tunic - which was as covered in leaves and dirt as his boot. I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing, and Glorfindel shot me a withering look.  
  
"I am sure you are enjoying this, but I, for one, do not relish the thought of walking back to Caras Galadhon barefoot and bare-chested." he said, then frowned thoughtfully at his tunic. "I should have told Haldir to go get us both cloaks."  
  
"In the case of me, he wouldn't have returned." I replied with a grin. "Of course, all my clothes are clean. I could head back to Caras Galadhon and get a cloak for you."  
  
"You would get lost." Glorfindel replied absently.  
  
"I can find my way to places when I want to." I said defensively.  
  
"And do you really WANT to find me a cloak?" Glorfindel asked, arching an eyebrow at me. I opened my mouth to insist I did, then closed it again as I realized that no, I really didn't.  
  
"Point." I said finally, shrugging. "How about going through the trees? Surely there's a way to get to your flet unseen, at least."  
  
"There might be, if certain guards are at certain parts of their patrols." Glorfindel said. "But I would prefer to walk into Caras Galadhon as I am than risk setting guard's tongues wagging at having seen me sneaking into Caras Galadhon as I am."  
  
"Y'know, you could almost just put your tunic on, anyways. I know it's dirty, but the excuse that you got pushed in a pool and then a pile of leaves would explain it all." I said.  
  
"Except the fact that my trousers are clean," Glorfindel replied.  
  
"That can be fixed," I said, grinning evilly. Glorfindel edged away from me slightly.  
  
"Find your belt." he said, and went back to contemplating his tunic. With a shrug, I did just that. I found it quickly, and when I put it on and turned back, I found Glorfindel now, as suggested, wearing his dirty tunic, though he had brushed the worst of the leaves and dirt off.  
  
"Knowing the way my day is going, we will run into Celeborn or Galadriel on the way to my flet." Glorfindel said with a sigh as he picked up both of his boots. I walked over to him and slipped an arm around his waist.  
  
"Maybe it'd give 'em some ideas." I replied with a grin, and Glorfindel twitched. I could practically see the thought 'ew' running through his head, and I laughed. "Come on, let's head back, then. Standing around here is not going to do much more than make you late to meet with Galadriel in CLEAN clothes." Glorfindel sighed and nodded, then put his own arm around my waist before we headed off for Caras Galadhon.  
  
----To be continued...with Kari!----  
(And evidence that Elrond, at one point, did indeed have a sense of humour!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy biiirthday to meeeee! Happy birthday to me...  
  
Yep, I totally forgot when I posted on tuesday that my birthday was in one day. Otherwise I would have made a note of it in that chapter! But now I'm sure you're all glad I didn't, because I'm posting an extra chapter now! And yes, I'll still be updating on friday. I just figured I'd put an extra chapter in here in honour of the happy occasion of me turning 17! And Elijah wood turning 23, but he's not important...  
  
*scampers off to do birthday-celebratory things* See y'all friday!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	49. Reconciliation

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Elrond: Crimson Starlight does not own anything.  
  
Artemia: But you're mine! CS said so! *eyes Elrond evilly*  
  
Elrond: Uh-hm. As I recall, she's off partying with Erestor over finding a fanfiction about him - when exactly did she say I was yours?  
  
Artemia: Before she left. She said something about wanting pictures of the results...  
  
Elrond: And you realize she technically has no legal authority to give me to you?  
  
Artemia: Well, she said it was more along the lines of 'lending without permission', but she had just seen 'Pirates of the Carribean', so I figured it was her attempt at a joke...  
  
Elrond: ...I have a sudden dislike for all Authors.  
  
Artemia: And you didn't have one before?  
  
Elrond: Well, normally they left me pretty much alone...except for giving me extra relatives. Which isn't necisarily a bad thing, but...  
  
Artemia: You talk too much. That's one of the things we will have to fix. Now come! *heads off*  
  
Elrond: *stands there*  
  
Artemia: *looks back, shrugs* Fine then, we can deal with your eyebrows here.  
  
Elrond: AH! Not the eyebrows! *runs*  
  
Artemia: *runs after, grinning evilly*  
  
(Glorfindel: Well, you do have to give Elrond credit - at least he got the disclaimer in before he ran off. Everybody else seems to forget it...  
  
Rachel: Yeah, 'EVERYBODY ELSE'. *pokes Glorfindel*  
  
Glorfindel: *grumbles* I get no respect...)  
  
-49: Reconciliation-  
  
Glorfindel and I got some rather strange looks as we walked through Caras Galadhon, but Glorfindel just kept a blank face, and I alternately looked innocent or made faces at elves who stared.  
  
"Galadriel will have heard of this by the time I reach her, no doubt." Glorfindel commented as we reached our flets.  
  
"She probably heard about it the instant we stepped into Caras Galadhon." I said, rolling my eyes. Then I went up on tip-toe - damn shortness - and gave Glorfindel a peck on the cheek. "See ya later!" Glorfindel smiled and nodded, then caught my hand and gave it a quick kiss before we separated and went to our individual flets. I changed quickly, and tied my still-damp hair back in one simple braid, before searching around my room in hopes of finding a book to read.  
  
It seemed it was a Bring-Your-Own-Book room, though, so I headed out intending to search for a library. I paused, however, on the platform that not only led to my flet, but Glorfindel's. I glanced up at Glorfindel's flet, the off in the direction I knew Galadriel and Celeborn's tree to be in. I grinned and scampered up the walkway to Glorfindel's flet. I poked my head in, looking around to be sure he had gone to see Galadriel by now. He had, so I entered and started poking around, looking for a book.  
  
I actually DID find one - and it wasn't a journal, I made sure of that. In fact, it was history book - most specifically for the years that Glorfindel had been dead. In fact...it looked as if it was a specific compilation of history for the years that Glorfindel had been dead. I frowned, and then looked at the title page, finding therein the answer to the conundrum -  
  
'A History of What Happened When You Were Dead  
by Lord Elrond Peredhil  
for Lord Glorfindel'  
  
I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing. Apparently Elrond DID have a sense of humour, after all. I'd have to apologize to Glorfindel later for doubting him. In the mean time, however, I could always brush up on my Middle-Earth history...And so Glorfindel came back into his flet an hour or so later to find my curled up on one end of his couch, thoroughly absorbed in the history book. Elrond knew how to write history, I'll give him that.  
  
"What are you doing here, Rachel?" Glorfindel asked in momentary confusion. I glanced up.  
  
"Reading." I replied, and then turned my attention back to the book.  
  
"I can see that." Glorfindel said with a sigh. "But why in MY flet?"  
  
"Because...the book was here. And I was too lazy to move?" I answered, distracted by my reading. Glorfindel shook his head, then came over and peered at the book upside down.  
  
"Which book?" he asked.  
  
"'A History of What Happened When You Were Dead'." I replied. "Elrond knows how to write history."  
  
"It is a talent he has somehow developed." Glorfindel said, sitting down on the couch next to me. I absently stretched my legs out over his lap as I continued reading about the early Second Age, oblivious to the fact that I was wearing a dress, and my shiftings while reading and then subsequent stretching of my legs over Glorfindel's lap had caused it to hike up to around my knees.  
  
"How'd the talk with Galadriel and messenger go?" I asked after a moment, still reading.  
  
"Aside from the pointed comments Galadriel made about the state I arrived in in Caras Galadhon earlier this afternoon? Fine." Glorfindel replied with a shrug.  
  
"You know, if you'd just let me kill her -" Glorfindel whacked my leg. "Ow, that wasn't necessary!" I complained.  
  
"You know very well that Galadriel is needed, so stop making longing comments about wanting to kill her - or Elrond or Haldir." Glorfindel said with a sigh.  
  
"At least making longing comments about doing it is better than actually attempting it." I replied. "And Elrond's no longer on my list."  
  
"Oh?" Glorfindel asked. "And why is that?" I held up the book by way of explanation, and Glorfindel chuckled. Further conversation, unfortunately, was cut short at a knock on Glorfindel's door. Finding that I was rather disinclined to move my legs, Glorfindel just called out for whoever it was to come in.  
  
"Lord Glorfindel, I -" Kari stopped short upon seeing me in the room.  
  
"Don't mind me." I commented, glancing up at her, and then turned back to the book. There was a moment's hesitation, and then Kari did as suggested and ignored my presence, engaging Glorfindel in a conversation about something or another. I caught the word 'feast', and that was about it. I did, however, pay attention when I felt Glorfindel and Kari both looking at me.  
  
"Sorry, reading, what?" I asked.  
  
"Elenlómë, may I speak with you for a moment alone? Perhaps at your own flet?" Kari replied.  
  
"The name's Rachel or Asira, and only if you promise not to kill me." I answered.  
  
"I have no reason to, Rachel." Kari said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Righty-o then!" I said cheerily, and hopped up off the couch. I plunked the book in Glorfindel's lap, gave him a quick kiss, and then headed out. Kari let me take the lead, though I knew she knew where my flet was, and looked extremely amused as we simply walked one flet over.  
  
"I get lost easily." I said in my defense as we entered my flet.  
  
"Some things have not changed, then." Kari said as I sat in one of the chairs.  
  
"A lot of things haven't changed. But other things have." I replied, motioning for Kari to take a chair, but she shook her head and remained standing.  
  
"Like your belief in Mary-Sues." Kari stated.  
  
"Hmm, well, I realized a few things recently, thanks to a stubborn, super-wise maia and a sexy elf-lord." I said with a shrug.  
  
"Mithrandir finally got a hold of you, did he?" Kari asked, her lips twitching in a smile.  
  
"Yeah, literally." I made a face, recalling Gandalf's stunt with Asfaloth stopping. "Wizards are evil. I think they shall replace Elrond on my list of Evil Beings To Be Killed." Kari arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes, in some ways, you have not changed a bit." she said, somewhat to herself.  
  
"Nor grown up much, either, I know." I said with a rueful smile, catching the un-said comment. "It comes from living among humans and looking permanently like a twenty-year-old. And not really WANTING to grow up."  
  
"I was going to add that if you did not." Kari said with a smirk.  
  
"Which was why I added it." I replied, arching an eyebrow. "Now, what did you wish to talk to me about? Or did we just cover it?"  
  
"Mostly." Kari said cautiously, looking down at the floor and frowning for a moment. When she looked up, she looked straight into my eyes with an intensity that scarily reminded me of Elrond. "Why?" There was no need to explain what she was asking about.   
  
"I thought it would be best for me to leave. I knew I could never convince you of the same, and I knew that you would never stop following me if you thought I was alive." I replied after only a moment's hesitation. "It was the only way I could think of that would get me out of Rivendell without anyone following me, and quite honestly, I am STILL incredibly surprised that it worked. And anyways, if you think about it, it was probably the best course of action. I mean, it took me 800 years to get over this whole Mary-Sue thing, and if I'd stayed in Rivendell during that time, I probably would have been causing a helluva lot of trouble for you and Elrohir." Kari nodded, sighing. "Doesn't mean you have to like it." I added with a grin. "Hell, I don't anymore." Kari chuckled.  
  
"What made you stop believing in Mary-Sues, anyways?" she asked curiously.  
  
"I told you, Gandalf and Glorfindel." I replied.  
  
"Yes, but how did you run into them? Gandalf's been running all over the countryside, and Glorfindel's been in Rivendell the majority of the time. And the rumor around Lothlórien is that you come from Gondor." Kari said, her confusion evident.  
  
"Ah. Well, I am, in my current incarnation, from Gondor. I am known there as Lady Asira, tutor to the Lord Stewards sons. Though I can't recall ever teaching them anything their father would call USEFUL." I said with an impish smile. "Anyways, that position allowed me to have the extreme pleasure of being the first person Boromir and Faramir told about their funky little dream. I then encouraged them to talk to Denethor, Denethor wanted to send plain old messengers, I told him to stop being stupid, and so he sent me along with Boromir - actually it was more of the other way around - to Rivendell. Where Gandalf and Glorfindel found me and whacked some sense into me. Elladan and Elrohir helped, too. Though I suppose I still had some belief in Mary-Sues until I realized on the way here that I was busy being afraid of an obsessed teenager's badly-grammared creation." Kari nodded.  
  
"It all makes sense now." she said, sounding wise. Then a confused look flitted across her face. "I think."  
  
"Simply, I got sent to Rivendell with Boromir, where I got sense knocked into me." I said with a grin, and Kari chuckled.  
  
"Makes sense." she said agreeably. "Now, I believe supper is to be soon. Would you like to join me and some friends for it?"  
  
"If I can bring Glorfindel." I said, getting up from the chair and bouncing on the balls of my feet. Kari shrugged.  
  
"He is not who I would pick for an interesting dinner partner, let alone a romantic one, but if you insist." she said.  
  
"Are you calling Glorfindel boring?" I asked, my eyes glinting dangerously. Kari eyed me for a moment.  
  
"Of course not." she said, and then seemed to shake herself. "Shall we go see if he wishes to come, then?" I nodded happily, and we set off back to Glorfindel's flet.  
  
"Glory, supper with Kari and friends, coming?" I asked, poking my head into his flet. He looked up from where he was reading his history book from Elrond, in the exact same place I'd left him.  
  
"Of course." he said, then stood, stretched slightly, and came out. With a smile, I latched onto him, and Kari arched an eyebrow and shook her head before heading off to wherever we were planning to have dinner. It was apparently some semi-private dining room, or someplace Kari belonged, because she entered without even knocking, though voices could be heard inside.  
  
"Ah, Alkarisil -" the voice stopped when it saw who was behind Kari.  
  
"Hello, Dad." I said, smiling evilly at Haldir. I heard a low groan from Glorfindel.  
  
"This is going to be a looooong meal." he muttered, and Lady Valinlot, seated beside Haldir at a table in the room we had entered, sighed in what seemed like agreement - apparently she'd heard about me. Kari looked between the two curiously, and then Haldir and I started in on our usual form of conversation. It didn't take long before Kari let out an exasperated groan, as well.  
  
----To be continued...with a moving body of water!----  
(And Galadriel avoidance!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
O.o Holy monkey in a bottle...I uploaded that last chapter, didn't check FF.N for the rest of the day, and when I looked again - *41* new reviews. I feel...loved. And slightly frightened...Thank you to each and every one of you who reviewed, whether you actually commented on the chapter or just said happy birthday. I give you all cyber-birthday-cake...  
  
Anyways. As a general note about the story, this is the chapter where my plot effectively gets put on hold for awhile. Oh yes, there's still going to be lots of fun with Rachel and Glorfindel in Lothlorien, but my plot as I know it won't pick up again for awhile. Not to say this story is going to become boring or pointless. Well, maybe pointless, but'll be fun. Just don't expect any large plot developments for awhile - the next few chapter are going to be like the first few fun ones that resulted in Elrohir and Kari being dyed purple. *nod* Only better...because they have Glorfindel.  
  
And another revision notice! Chapter 7-10 have had anywhere from a few words to entire conversations changed in them. Chapter 10 is the most. Why these changes? Well, remember how I said I'd decided to stick to Tolkien canon? That means: Elves sleeping together = bonding = marriage. Therefore, I had to rewrite some parts of those chapters, since I'd originally written Elladan as somewhat of a ladies-elf. It's all good now, though!  
  
As a side note as to Tolkien canon, I've decided that the detail about Elves who return from the dead literally being reborn, going through childhood again, and then regaining their memories of their former life when they reach majority or so? For the sake of my amusement, I'm not following it. You'll see why later. (Those who are scarily clever and intelligent might be able to match this fact up with a comment in an earlier Author's Note to find out what sort of amusement I'm talking about...but I doubt anyone will get it. I doubt I could if I didn't know it was there...)  
  
And, um...yeah. I think that's it now. Whew, I either write really long Author's Notes, or really short ones...Ah well. See y'all on Monday!  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	50. Interlude

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own absolutely nothing, not even any time to write an incredibly amusing disclaimer...  
  
The Noble Platypus: Nor the character of Glorfindel as he appears in this story.  
  
CS: Right. Because certain people have him locked in a cage...  
  
The Noble Platypus: Not that he seems to mind, since Rachel managed to get in there with him...  
  
CS: Kinky.  
  
The Noble Platypus: Disturbing, actually.  
  
-50: Interlude-  
  
Unfortunately for me, Kari has less patience that Glorfindel, and no pressing need to be overly nice to me - or Haldir. Plus, she has always spoken her mind. Thus, before we even began eating, Haldir and I were under orders from Kari not to talk to each other unless we had something nice to say. And we couldn't get our dinner companions to pass along what we wanted to say, either.  
  
"You're no fun." I grumbled to Kari in English during one of the lulls in conversation while eating, after I thought of something absolutely wonderfully insulting to say to Haldir.  
  
"And you brought a boring elf lord to supper." Kari retorted in the same language, jerking her head at Glorfindel. I gaped at her.  
  
"He is not boring!" I protested, still in English. By now, our conversation - it being in a strange language that probably only Glorfindel had a hope in hell of even recognizing, let alone understanding - had attracted the attention of the others at the table.  
  
"He is! Old, too." Kari replied.  
  
"And how old is Elrohir?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Around three thousand." Kari said with a shrug, and then jerked her head in Glorfindel's direction again. "He is older." I opened my mouth to protest in some fashion, though I knew she was right that Glorfindel was older, but I closed it again, wondering exactly how old Glorfindel actually was.  
  
"He is not boring." I finally settled on insisting.  
  
"Prove it." Kari answered, inadvertently slipping back into Elvish.  
  
"Prove WHAT?" Haldir asked before we could continue. "What on Arda are you two talking about?"  
  
"Kari's picking up some things from you." I replied crisply, once more speaking in Elvish.  
  
"I'm just stating what I've seen." Kari said.  
  
"Well then you've never seen Glorfindel drunk, have you?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. Glorfindel made a choking noise as he realized that our conversation had been about him.  
  
"Can't say I have..." Kari said with a frown. "I'm not sure he CAN get drunk."  
  
"He can, trust me." I replied dryly in English. "And it's quite amusing. He is not boring then."  
  
"I am confused." Lady Valinlot commented.  
  
"As are the rest of us." Haldir said, shooting a meaningful glance at Kari and me where we were currently engaged in a staring contest. Glorfindel broke it by poking me. I looked up at him in annoyance, and he arched an eyebrow down at me.  
  
"Explain to those of us that do not speak your language?" he asked, but I shook my head in response.  
  
"No, it's of no consequence. Friendly bickering." I said.  
  
"He is old and boring." Kari said under her breath in English, and I narrowed my eyes at her.  
  
"Glorfindel, what would you do if someone called you old and boring?" I asked. There was a pause.  
  
"Nothing pleasant." Glorfindel answered, and I arched an eyebrow challengingly at Kari. She shrugged, then smiled serenely, obviously confident that I wouldn't tell Glorfindel.  
  
"English Lesson 101." I said, turning to Glorfindel, and proceeded to give him the meanings of the words Kari had just uttered. There was a pause after I finished as everyone at the table did a mental translation, and Kari looked at me in shock. Then Glorfindel stood up, picked Kari up out of her chair, threw her over his shoulder, and walked out of the flet, surprising even me. There was a short, stunned silence, then, as Kari could just be heard indignantly ordering Glorfindel to put her down, Haldir, Lady Valinlot, and I shared a glance.  
  
"This I gotta see." I said, standing up and dashing out the door.  
  
"Right behind you." came Haldir's response, and a quick look behind showed Lady Valinlot following, as well. We managed to catch up to Glorfindel and Kari just as they reached one of the deeper streams - almost a river - that went through Caras Galadhon. And even as we stopped, Glorfindel dumped Kari in said river. Glorfindel smirked down at Kari as she surfaced, spluttering and glaring. Haldir and I looked at each other, then burst out laughing. Lady Valinlot was attempting to hold in her giggles, but not succeeding too well.  
  
"That just proves he can over-react." Kari shot up at me.  
  
"And what would YOU do if someone called you old and boring?" I asked, arching an eyebrow down at her. Kari paused, and then sighed.  
  
"WHAT is going on here?" I eeped and whirled at the voice, and found Celeborn standing behind me, arms crossed and managing to look curious and annoyed at the same time.  
  
"Swimming lesson." Glorfindel replied smoothly. Celeborn looking in the river, where Kari was now calmly standing on the shore, wringing her hair out, and then back up at Glorfindel.  
  
"Did you just throw my granddaughter-in-law in the river?" he asked. Glorfindel paused for a moment, as if thinking, then nodded. "Why?"  
  
"I was endeavoring to prove her wrong about something." Glorfindel replied.  
  
"What?" Celeborn asked. All five of us glanced at each other, all silently agreeing that telling the truth wouldn't be nice.  
  
"That he wouldn't dump a member of Elrond's family in a river." I supplied finally, seeing that no one else was able to come up with an alternate reason.  
  
"I see." Celeborn said with a frown, then shook his head and turned to leave. Before he got far, however, Kari muttered something under her breath, and Glorfindel's eyes lit up with amusement, glancing towards Celeborn. My eyes widened in worry, and then - there was a new Celeborn-shaped hole in the river.  
  
"So nice of you to drop by, grandfather." Kari said innocently from shore as Celeborn came to the surface.  
  
"Lord Glorfindel -" Celeborn grated out, pulling himself to his feet and stalking out of the water, headed for Glorfindel. Glorfindel eyed the elf-lord warily, as did Kari. I probably would have made some attempt to protect Glorfindel (ha), but I, along with Haldir and Lady Valinlot, was incapacitated due to laughing so hard that I was crying. It only got worse when, upon reaching Glorfindel, Celeborn glared at him for a few moments, then tossed him in the river.  
  
"I deserved that." Glorfindel commented once he had surfaced.  
  
"Yes, you did." Celeborn said with an emphatic nod, and then his eyes slid towards those of us laughing on the bank. We quickly stopped laughing and scurried backwards.  
  
"I already had a bath today!" I said, holding up my hands in self defense.  
  
"So did we." Haldir added quickly for him and Lady Valinlot.  
  
"And what did *I* have?" Glorfindel asked, pulling himself out of the river.  
  
"A roll in the mud?" Haldir asked, and I snickered. Glorfindel and Celeborn glanced at each other, and then Lady Valinlot was the only dry one left.  
  
"He's not boring and old, he's evil!" I announced to Kari in English, and she smirked.  
  
"What did you say now?" Glorfindel asked, looking down at me with an arched eyebrow.  
  
"I said you're evil." I replied promptly, speaking in Elvish again. "You have replaced Elrond on the list of Evil Beings That I Wish I Could Kill But Will Never Be Able To." I nodded solemnly, and everyone but Kari and Glorfindel gave me creeped out looks.  
  
"So you're placing me in the same category as Haldir and -" I launched myself out of the water and tackled Glorfindel to stop him from uttering the other name, which would not be good with Celeborn here. Haldir already knew I would like to kill him, so there was no problem there, but there was no telling what Celeborn's reaction would be if he found out Galadriel was the other one on that list. Of course, my tackle resulted with, after a VERY short scuffle, me flat on my stomach, Glorfindel sitting on my back.  
  
"Dammit." I muttered, spitting out some leaves that had managed to get into my mouth.  
  
"Well that was interesting." Kari commented.  
  
"This whole DAY has been interesting." I shot back. "Glorfindel, get off me." Glorfindel stood up obligingly, then offered me a hand up, smirking. I don't know how things would have gone from there if we hadn't been interrupted, but it would probably have been very amusing. As it was, before any of us, wet or dry, could say more, someone who effectively dampened the mood spoke from behind us.  
  
"Celeborn, why are you wet?" All six of us at the river slowly turned as one to the source of the voice. Galadriel looked back in puzzlement. We all glanced at each other.  
  
"We were in the middle of a supper, weren't we, Kari?" I said, going over to Kari and helping her out of the river.  
  
"Yes, we were." she answered as Glorfindel helped Haldir out.  
  
"Then we'd best get back to it." I said, and Kari, Haldir, Glorfindel, Lady Valinlot and I made tracks out of there, even as Celeborn started to explain to Galadriel.  
  
"Y'know, Celeborn isn't half bad." I commented as we headed back towards our supper.  
  
"Celebrían had to get her funny side from someone." Kari said with a shrug.  
  
"Celebrían had a funny side?" I asked.  
  
"Had, yes." Kari said, her face darkening, and instantly the mood dropped.  
  
"Stupid Orcs." I muttered, and everybody else nodded in agreement as we reached the dining hall we had been eating in. Surprise surprise, the food was still there, and we, all but Lady Valinlot still sopping wet, sat down and finished it quickly. Just as we were starting to chat again, Glorfindel suddenly got very silent, tilting his head to one side. Recognizing the look on his face from when we had rode into Lothlórien, I shot him a curious look.  
  
"Galadriel is coming." he announced suddenly. "And she is angry." We all looked at each other.  
  
"I do not know about you," Lady Valinlot said softly, "But I think I am up for some acrobatics in a dress." And she stood and slipped out the window. Haldir followed. Glorfindel and I went out another, and just as we left, I saw Kari heading out another one.  
  
"This is kinda pointless. I mean, she can find us whenever she wants." I commented as Glorfindel and I jogged along a tree branch, aiming to get above a platform on another tree entirely.  
  
"Yes, but hopefully her anger will be cooled by then." Glorfindel said over his shoulder. I grunted in acceptance, concentrating too hard on not falling to think up a more coherent answer.  
  
We made it to the platform we had been aiming for, and then quickly dashed down the nearest staircase to the forest floor. From there, we calmly walked in the direction of the tree our flets were in, ignoring the strange looks elves we past gave us. We were still slightly damp, after all, and covered in leaves.  
  
"I seem to keep getting wet and covered in leaves today." Glorfindel commented as we reached the tree our flets were in.  
  
"It was my fault only the first time." I said as we headed up.  
  
"Yes -" Glorfindel paused suddenly, then grabbed my hand and pulled me after him as he took the stairs two at a time and went straight into his flet. Once inside, I suddenly found myself being kissed quite passionately. After getting over my surprise, I kissed back quite eagerly. When Glorfindel pulled away, I shot him a curious look. Not that I minded the kiss, but it was rather sudden.  
  
"Galadriel was checking to see where we were and what we were doing." he said innocently, and I snickered.  
  
"Guess we won't be hearing from her tonight." I said.  
  
"Indeed." Glorfindel said, grinning, and then pulled me close and kissed me again.  
  
"You know, this has to be one of the best days I've had in a long time." I said with a sigh when the kiss ended, resting my head against Glorfindel's chest.  
  
"I am glad." Glorfindel said, kissing the top of my head. "You deserve good days." I smiled.  
  
"And that's what I liked about today. Before today, some people would have argued with that." I said.  
  
"But none of them are here now, anyways, are they?" Glorfindel said.  
  
"No, they're not." I lifted my head and smiled up at him. Then I, unexpectedly, yawned. Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"It seems all the activity today has tired you out." he said.  
  
"Lots of emotional moments will do that to someone." I mumbled, letting my head fall back against his chest.  
  
"Time for bed, then." Glorfindel said softly, and picked me up. I giggled.  
  
"It so rocks that you can do that without any trouble." I said, and Glorfindel chuckled again as he headed into his bedroom. I was somewhat surprised that he didn't make to take me to my flet, but I sure as heck didn't mind. He probably reasoned that sleeping in his bed wasn't all that big a deal after the sleeping arrangements on the trip to Lothlórien, anyways. And so I ended my most excellent day by falling asleep in the arms, and bed, of the very sexy Lord Glorfindel of Rivendell. I don't think either of us even noticed that we were still wearing damp clothes covered in leaves and dirt.  
  
----To be continued...with talking necks!----  
(And Fernando!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Well, 50 chapters and 1,000 reviews. Whew. I never thought I'd write a FanFic that would get over 1,000 reviews - it is just boggling my mind here, especially since I'm not even done yet. Thank you to each and every one of my reviewers! Out of all the presents I've gotten for my birthday this year, this unitentional one is deffinately one of the better ones.  
  
On that note, my apologies for the sorta late update...my birthday party was last night, and I was up 'till midnight with no chance to update, and now...I got up 15 minutes ago and have to leave for school in 5. If my mom hadn't suddenly remembered that she hasn't had breakfast yet, you probably wouldn't be getting an update until MUCH later today. Ah well.  
  
Yep, and now I'm off to school. See y'all on thursday!  
  
~Crimson Starlight  
  
PS: All-Star Survivor - WHEE! 


	51. Vacation

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Pardonnez mon être étrange. Caminé en una pared ayer por la mañana.  
  
Glorfindel: ... *looks at Rachel*  
  
Rachel: Don't ask me! My internal translator only does Middle-Earth languages! That was...French and Spanish? Neither of which I know, let alone did I know CS knew, until now.  
  
CS: Non li conosco.  
  
Rachel: ...  
  
Kari: I think that was Italian...  
  
CS: Ich besitze nicht nichts.  
  
Rachel: Er...German, I think?  
  
Kari: Yep. I think that was the disclaimer, actually...  
  
Rachel: You speak German?  
  
Kari: L'il bit.  
  
CS: Nenhum você não , você coelho roxo estranho! Ma suppongo se lo arresta dalla citazione, voi posso...  
  
Glorfindel: Um, shall I just say, in case she didn't, that she doesn't own anything?  
  
Rachel: Not even her mind anymore, as far as we can tell!  
  
CS: Ich, sie fliegenaffe! ¡Haré que usted es enfermo para ese insulto! Vous êtes un caractère si irrespectueux!  
  
Rachel: ...Did I just get reamed out?  
  
Kari: Yep, sounds like it.  
  
Rachel: Great...Now if only I knew what she said...  
  
-51: Vacation-  
  
The next day I woke to see a book floating above my head. I blinked, and it took me a few moments to realize that the book was actually being held by Glorfindel, who was sitting up reading, and my head was in his lap. I smiled, then yawned and stretched, wrapping one arm up around Glorfindel's waist and using the other to take the book from his hands.  
  
"What time is it?" I asked after a nice good-morning kiss.  
  
"Morning." Glorfindel replied with a smile.  
  
"Funny." I said with a withering look. "Closer to breakfast or lunch?"  
  
"Breakfast." Glorfindel answered. "Which there is some of on the bedside table, along with a change of clothes." I noticed now that my clothes were dirty and wrinkled, and that Glorfindel had changed into a very comfortable-looking pair of loose breeches, and an equally loose tunic.  
  
"How long have you been up?" I asked, making a face.  
  
"Since dawn." Glorfindel replied, giving me a kiss on the forehead.  
  
"Ugh, right, you like the mornings." I said, then unwrapped my arm from around Glorfindel's waist, rolled onto my side, and pushed myself into an upright position. Glancing at the bedside table, I found that there was indeed a change of clothes there, along with a tray containing some very yummy looking food. I grabbed the clothes and disappeared into Glorfindel's bathing room, where I changed quickly.  
  
Glorfindel, it appeared, had comfort in mind today, as he had snagged one of my most comfortable dresses. As I left the bathing room, I wondered how he had known it was a comfortable dress, and was reminded of a movie I had seen once, back home, called 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Dessert'. Suffice it to say that Hugo Weaving played a drag queen in it, and you'll get why I was chuckling to myself with a mental image of Glorfindel trying on some of my dresses.  
  
I dumped my dirty clothes on the floor by the door, then went back to the bed - where Glorfindel was once again reading, so absorbed he'd not even heard me chuckling - and ate breakfast. After wards, I peered over Glorfindel's shoulder to see what he was reading. Upon discovering it was the history Elrond had written for him, and he was near the spot where I had stopped reading yesterday, I pulled the book out of his hands long enough to sit in his lap, and so we sat there reading together. I'm sure if anyone had seen us they would have either given us a strange look or burst out laughing, but hey. Since Glorfindel was a fair sight taller than me, it was easier than me reading over his shoulder.  
  
And, as it turned out, I was only a slightly faster reader than Glorfindel, so there were no little squabbles over turning the page too fast or too slow. Well, there was that page that Glorfindel had apparently read before and turned too quickly for me. I meeped and turned it back, and Glorfindel chuckled. Then he spent the entire time I was reading the page kissing, nuzzling, licking, and otherwise molesting my neck and lower jaw, making it impossible for me to concentrate.  
  
"You're evil." I complained when I finally finished the page and realized I couldn't remember a thing of what I'd just read.  
  
"Not my fault." Glorfindel mumbled against my neck.  
  
"So I suppose my neck just stuck itself in the way of your mouth and asked you to molest it?" I asked Glorfindel with amusement.  
  
"Of course." Glorfindel said, and planted a big kiss on my cheek before turning his attention back to the book. I rolled my eyes and went back to reading. We ended out stopping reading around noon, and after a very pleasant little makeout session, we went in search of lunch. I was amused, and flattered, when, while we were on our way to the kitchens, we ran into some Lothlórien elf who mentioned a meeting Glorfindel might want to attend, and Glorfindel promptly announced that he was busy for the entire day. The elf looked quite surprised, and in the stunned silence, Glorfindel bid the elf a barely polite good-day before neatly stepping around him and continuing on down to the kitchens, me close behind.  
  
"Busy for the entire day, hm?" I asked, arching an eyebrow at Glorfindel as we entered the kitchens.  
  
"I believe you were in the middle of sword lessons when we left Rivendell?" Glorfindel shot back blandly, and then went in search of food. We took the lunch back up to Glorfindel's flet, where we had a very leisurely lunch, and then I scampered off to my flet and got changed into trousers and a tunic so Glorfindel could show me exactly how horrible I was at fighting with a sword.  
  
Which was, predictably, really REALLY bad. There was never a point where I even came CLOSE to 'wounding' him. And I didn't need to hear the whispered, amused comments of the others around the ring to know that Glorfindel was holding back. Haldir showed up at one point, and somehow managed to finagle me into sparring him. I pulled another stunt like that day I fought Elladan to a draw and invented (or rather, used without knowing that they already existed) a ton of moves while I was fighting Haldir, but Haldir, apparently, is better than Elladan - or I wasn't as good as I had been then - and I eventually found myself staring at the tip of Haldir's sword.  
  
"Hmm..." I said thoughtfully while I looked at the sword in my face, trying to think of a name. "Oh, I know! I dub thee Fernando!" Haldir gave me a weird look. "Oh, and I yield." Haldir removed Fernando from my face, and I jumped up before going to fetch my sword.  
  
"Fernando?" Haldir asked in clear confusion.  
  
"The tip of your sword." Glorfindel explained dryly. "She names them all." Haldir gave me another weird look as I sheathed my sword and came back over to where he and Glorfindel were standing.  
  
"Yes, I'm insane." I told Haldir before he could ask. "And no, I don't mind a bit."  
  
"I figured that out last night." Haldir said dryly, and we all looked at each other in amusement. "Why did you throw Celeborn in the river, anyways?" Haldir asked Glorfindel after a moment, and I turned my own curious glance in Glorfindel's direction, as I had been wondering the same thing myself.  
  
"Kari commented that Celeborn was technically part of Elrond's family, and that I wouldn't dare throw HIM in the river." Glorfindel said with a shrug.  
  
"And so it turned out to truly be an attempt to prove Kari wrong." I said with a small smile.  
  
"Well, she called me boring." Glorfindel said as if that excused it all, and Haldir and I looked at each other, knowing without even saying anything that we were thinking the same thing.  
  
"Ladies first." Haldir said after a moment.  
  
"Oh no, your rank gives you precedence." I replied.  
  
"Ah, but your friendship with the Lady Alkarisil, wife of the grandson of my liege lord and lady, and your...relationship with the gentleman in question, gives you a much stronger claim." Haldir protested. Glorfindel was now looking between Haldir and me in utter confusion.  
  
"I believe, however, that we are currently in your liege lord and ladies realm, and therefore within the sphere of your command in your position as Marchwarden. You clearly have the superior claim." I insisted.  
  
"Oh no, I would not dream of stepping on your toes. For I do know you so wish to be first." Haldir replied seriously. That proved to be my undoing, and I burst into laughter, both at the absurdity of Haldir and my's argument, and Glorfindel's remark. Haldir was quick to follow me into laughter, and soon we both hand a hand on the others shoulders, endeavoring to keep upright, as we laughed. Glorfindel, when I managed to catch a look of him through my quickly watering eyes, was looking at us in a mix of amusement and creeped-outedness.  
  
"All better?" Glorfindel asked with an arched eyebrow when Haldir and I finally finished laughing. I glanced at Haldir, gave a little giggle, then looked back at Glorfindel and nodded. "Good. Now would you care to enlighten me as to what you were laughing about?" Glorfindel asked, crossing his arms and looking down at us with his best Elf-lord lord.  
  
"Hm, well..." I paused thoughtfully, and Haldir decided to take the lead.  
  
"Shall we just say that we found - then and now - the thought of someone with your -" Haldir paused, and I took over.  
  
"Accomplishments and age dumping someone in a river for merely calling him boring -" Haldir and I looked at each other.  
  
"Utterly hilarious." we finished in unison. Glorfindel blinked, and looked between us in surprise.  
  
"Y'know, you do that unison thing quite nicely. Shame you don't have a twin." I commented to Haldir. He made as if to give a joking bow, but stopped at my next words. "Even an identical one would probably have better manners, at any rate, if not better looks."  
  
"It would be hard to get much worse than you." Haldir retorted, and Glorfindel sighed. Momentary truce to laugh at Glorfindel's expense: officially over.  
  
"Well I got it all from you." I said smoothly.  
  
"I had nothing to do with your lineage, no matter what you may protest, so stop involving me in your poor genetics." Haldir scolded, waggling a finger at me.  
  
"While this is less worrying than having you two as allies, would you PLEASE stop with this nonsense?" Glorfindel asked with a sigh.  
  
"I would gladly, but you more than anyone should know of the Naugrim blood in her veins that makes her so stubborn." Haldir said, looking down his nose at me haughtily. I vaguely noticed that sudden silence emanated from all around us, and a quick glance showed that all who had been near had apparently stopped in their tracks and were listening very intently while trying not to show it. I decided to pursue the old jibe in the hopes of, if not making them realize it was a jest, then at least doing the same damage to Haldir's reputation as he was doing to mine.  
  
"Yes, and I believe we've already covered that it's your fault it's there in the first place." I returned.  
  
"Did we not just go over leaving me out of your poor lineage?" Haldir asked.  
  
"Perhaps, but I seem to have inherited a poor memory, as well. Maybe I got it from you?" I paused for a moment as if in thought, but not long enough for Haldir to reply. "Actually, that would make sense, combined with your protestations that you were not involved with my poor genetics. With a faulty memory, you might honestly not remember what unspeakable acts you got up to the last time you were within range of a Naugrim female."  
  
"Do you REALLY want to make me make you stop this?" Glorfindel asked blandly.  
  
"Whatever you may do, Lord Glorfindel, I doubt very much it will hold back the Lady Asira. She seems to have very little respect for authority." Haldir replied promptly.  
  
"Must you always have the first word after Glory speaks?" I asked Haldir, my annoyance somewhat genuine, since Haldir's speaking first prevented me from defending myself against Glorfindel. "Perhaps you are trying to earn his favour? Tell me, my dear Marchwarden," I said, my voice suddenly sweet and sugary as a thought occurred to me, "Could you possibly have romantic designs on our dear Balrog-slayer?" Haldir looked at me, his eyes widening, as that sunk in.  
  
"Enough of this." Glorfindel said, and this time his annoyance was real. Haldir and I turned innocent faces to him. "Continue this trade of insults if you will, but leave me out of it, and refrain from doing it on the one day I have managed to finagle free of my duties for the past several years." Haldir and I looked at each other, and we grinned. Then we turned back to Glorfindel, smoothing our grins as we did so.  
  
"Very well, Lord Glorfindel." we said with a shrug, all in perfect unison. Glorfindel glanced between us in a mixture of annoyance and amazement.  
  
"It's because we think too much alike." I 'whispered' conspiratorially to Glorfindel, leaning towards him. He just shook his head.  
  
"I am not saying anything further on this matter." he said.  
  
"Which goes to show that you do earn wisdom with age." I said with amusement, then glanced back at Haldir and smiled sweetly. "At least in some cases."  
  
"I WILL shut you up, Rachel." Glorfindel growled in my ear, low enough that I doubt even Haldir could discern what had been said.  
  
"Well, in that case..." I said, arching an eyebrow at Glorfindel. I turned to Haldir, opened my mouth to say something, and abruptly found myself slung over Glorfindel's shoulder.  
  
"Farewell, Marchwarden!" Glorfindel said cheerily, and marched off in the opposite direction, to much laughter from the surrounding Elves - and Haldir. I growled.  
  
"No fair." I said.  
  
"Oh, quite fair." Glorfindel said blandly.  
  
"That was not how I was expecting you to shut me up. You intentionally let me think the wrong thing." I retorted.  
  
"Notice you are still talking?" Glorfindel said patiently. "Therefore I have not shut you up yet. I was merely -" At this point, I was removed from Glorfindel shoulder and set on my feet again, "Moving you to a more...appropriate spot?" Any protests I might have to that were stopped as he then proceeded to shut me up quite effectively. Whatever complaints Kari had about Glorfindel being old, I decided with my last coherent thought, were completely squashed by the advantages of what all those years gave to him in the form of wisdom and knowledge - in many, many different areas.  
  
----To be continued...with Creepy Lady!----  
(And Mr. Sun!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
*cough* Uh, some of you are probably wondering what I said in the disclaimer...if you are, Babel Fish is your friend. It's all French, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, so it shouldn't be too hard to translate. The gist of it, however is -  
  
I walked into a wall yesterday morning.  
  
So, as I said, pardonnez mon être étrange, please...  
  
...  
  
My knee hurts. Damn wall.  
  
My reviewers, you rock. As in the sense that you are cool and I am thankful that you review, not in the sense that you are a hard object that someone could walk into and hurt their head and/or knee and proceed to write in languages they only 'know' because they have access to Babel Fish.  
  
Bye until Sunday!  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	52. Discussing

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Rúmil: CS owns nothing at all!  
  
Gil-Galad: *appears* Except her strange sense of humour.  
  
Rúmil: ...who're you?  
  
Gil-Galad: High King of the Noldor Elves. You?  
  
Rúmil: *blinks*......Rúmil of Lothlórien...*ahem* uh, aren't you supposed to be dead?  
  
Gil-Galad: *mildly amused* Yes, but the Valar wanted to keep an eye on CS's disclaimers, and let me come back as long as I inform them of what's going on.  
  
Rúmil: Sooo...you're a spy?  
  
Gil-Galad: *shrugs and grins* I could be a double agent, depending on the offer. But I see only you...? Where is everyone else?  
  
Rúmil: *points outside* Snow fight to celebrate the first day since last year with a single-digit temperature.  
  
Gil-Galad: I see...*watches for a moment* Did I just see Galadriel and Glorfindel dump a large bucket of snow over Elrohir?  
  
Rúmil: Um, actually, I think that was Elladan.  
  
Gil-Galad: Oh. Right.  
  
Rúmil and Gil-Galad: *look at each other* ... *run outside to join in the fun*  
  
Dustbunny under CS's computer desk: Well this was a boring disclaimer...  
  
-52: Discussing-  
  
It was a sheepish Glorfindel who later admitted that half of his haste in getting me out of there was fear that the Lady Galadriel would sense the disturbance and come looking. When asked about the other half, he simply smiled and replied that it was a tie between almost honestly wishing Haldir and I would stop, and the fact that I 'looked quite fiery when bantering with Haldir'. Which led the to the inevitable innocent question on my part about what me looking fiery had to do with anything, which led to the suggestion that we head back to our rooms, since we were both still sweaty and dirty from our sparring and needed a bath and to change.  
  
I held back a suggestion about the hot springs. Things between Glorfindel and I had not gone quite that far yet, and truth to tell, I wanted to talk over this whole relationship of ours before we did go that far. I was pretty sure that Elves didn't go that far without being married, anyways, though I wasn't sure and would have to ask Kari. I had not been the loosest of girls back on earth in the first place, anyways, and several lifetimes spent as a barmaid had still not changed those morals. In fact, due to those morals and despite my behavior, I had a funny feeling that Glorfindel would be VERY surprised about a certain fact if I ever did eventually sleep with him in a more...intimate manner than had happened previously.  
  
And anyways, Elves are immortal - and I was perfectly content to just restrict myself to kisses (and licks and nibbles) on commonly exposed bodyparts for now. Though I had a feeling Glorfindel might try to return the concern I had given his tunic at the hot springs. I would have to decide whether or not to complain about it when it happened, however. Well, scratch that, I know exactly what my decision will be if that happens. Because there's this little problem of me losing all coherent thought when Glorfindel's kissing me. Which I also needed to figure out...preferably by talking to Kari, not Glorfindel.  
  
"You are quiet." Glorfindel observed as we approached our flets, pulling me out of my thoughts.  
  
"Yeah, happens sometimes." I said, shaking my head to clear it. I could think all this stuff over later, when I didn't have Glorfindel all to myself for a day.  
  
"Thinking?" Glorfindel asked unnecessarily, and I nodded.  
  
"Also happens sometimes, though more rarely." I said.  
  
"I doubt it." Glorfindel said, pulling me closer to him - we were walking with our arms around each others waists - and gave me a light kiss on the temple.  
  
"Oh?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"I very much doubt one who thinks rarely could come up with such...creative responses to Haldir." Glorfindel said with a lop-sided smile.  
  
"Or I could just have a reflexive mouth that shoots the responses off without asking my brain first." I replied. Glorfindel gave me an amused look, and I realized the opening I had given him. Fortunately, we had reached our flets, and Glorfindel didn't do anything more than give me a light kiss on the lips before we separated.  
  
"Awwww, look at de widdle wove biwds!" I shot Kari an annoyed glance as I entered my flet.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I asked.  
  
"Hiding." she answered, looking around fearfully.  
  
"Creepy Lady stalking you?" I asked with a chuckle, and Kari nodded vigorously.  
  
"I saw Valinlot after Grandmother finished speaking with her." she said. "I think she was whiter than a bleached ghost. And she was not even directly involved in the whole thing!"  
  
"Hm. Well, she's the only one Galadriel's caught, thank goodness. Maybe a few more days of avoiding Creepy Lady and we'll only come out of it looking like Val when she catches us." I said thoughtfully.  
  
"Val?" Kari asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Elvish names are long; I get tired of saying them in their entirety." I said, waving a hand through the air dismissively. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to bathe and get changed."  
  
"Can I not stay?" Kari asked, giving me puppy-eyes.  
  
"Well, you could, but the longer you stay in one place, the more likely Creepy Lady is to find you." I said, heading into my other room and starting to rifle through my clothes for something to wear, leaving the door to the other room open so I could still talk with Kari.  
  
"But you stayed in Glorfindel's flet all morning and she did not come looking." Kari pointed out.  
  
"That's because there are some things even Creepy Lady won't interrupt to scold." I said, poking my head into the other room and giving Kari a wicked grin.  
  
"My, you are serious about dear Glorfy." Kari said softly after a few moments.  
  
"As serious as I can get, considering I stop thinking coherently when he kisses me." I shot back, and Kari chuckled.  
  
"Oh yes, I remember that." she said. "Elven kisses do take some time to get used to."  
  
"Apparently." I said with a snort. Further conversation was halted as I heard my door open. Curious as to who would enter without knocking - I didn't think Glorfindel could change and bathe THAT fast - I poked my head out into the main room, and immediately froze.  
  
"Do join us, Rachel." Galadriel said, her voice scarily calm. I came the rest of the way into the doorway to the other room and curtseyed, swallowing nervously, before coming the rest of the way into the room. I sent a fervent thought in Glorfindel's direction to get the hell out of here while he could. Galadriel arched an eyebrow at me.  
  
"I am not going to bite you." she said. Oh. Right. She could read minds. Dammit.  
  
"Uh." I shared a glance with Kari. "Wasn't concerned about that, Lady."  
  
"Oh? Ah. That image that I saw in Kari's mind of me by my mirror?" Galadriel asked, tilting her head to one side and smiling slightly. Kari and I nodded vigorously.  
  
"And the fact that you're most likely over ten thousand years old, have a lovely piece of powerful jewellery on your finger, and are really really creepy." I added. To my surprise, Galadriel laughed.  
  
"I do not try to be." She said with a smile when she finished, then suddenly turned serious and frowned slightly at us. "Though it serves a purpose when someone throws my husband in the river." Kari and I glanced at each other with arched eyebrows. Just 'someone'? How much - or rather, how little - had Celeborn TOLD Galadriel?  
  
"I'm sure it would." I said, making a flash decision to play innocent as I turned my attention back to Galadriel.  
  
"I was wondering if, since you were one of those also in the river, you might enlighten me as to who it was that threw Celeborn in the river?" Galadriel asked, her voice holding a threatening note.  
  
"Didn't see." I said, shrugging. "I was laughing too much at Kari." Galadriel arched an eyebrow, clearly asking for elaboration. "She was already in the river." Galadriel nodded, and then turned to Kari.  
  
"And what about you? Perhaps you have some more information?" she asked sweetly. There was a moment's hesitation, but Kari seemed as loath to tell the story as I. Probably since she had been the one to suggest throwing Celeborn in the river.  
  
"I was busy trying to get OUT of the river, Grandmother." she replied with a shrug. Galadriel eyed the two of us for a moment, and then nodded.  
  
"Very well. I shall seek out Haldir and Lord Glorfindel, then. Perhaps they were paying attention at the time." she said, and glided out the door, though I KNEW she knew we weren't telling the entire truth.  
  
"Thanks so much for hiding in my flet and drawing her here." I grumped to Kari once Galadriel was out of earshot.  
  
"It would be a shame to fight so soon after making up." Glorfindel commented from behind me, and I whirled, surprised to find him there. He grinned.  
  
"What the flying penguin...?" I asked, blinking in surprise. Kari giggled.  
  
"I sensed the Lady of the Wood, and while she was distracted talking to you, I took the opportunity to come and hide here. When she goes to my flet - which she most likely will be doing right now - she will find it empty." Glorfindel explained with a smile.  
  
"Ah. Makes sense." I said. "But now I can't have a bath." I frowned slightly, and then did a brief inspection of Glorfindel. "And you haven't had one yourself."  
  
"There are some hot springs in northern Lothlórien." Kari put in innocently.  
  
"I've already seen them, thank you." I said, giving Kari a wry smile. She arched an eyebrow at me, a teasing twinkle in her eyes.  
  
"I'm sure no one would interrupt you if you took a bath there." she pressed, and I sent her a warning look.  
  
"I will have access to a very big, hard wooden thing in a few months. I suggest you try to remain OFF the list of people I want to hit with it." I said. Kari shrugged.  
  
"You always were so reserved." she said with a sigh, then suddenly brightened. "Well, now that I have no need to fear Grandmother, I think I shall go back to the library and read some more! Ta ta!" She bounced up and was out the door before either of us could respond. Glorfindel shook his head.  
  
"That still didn't solve the problem of a bath, damn her." I muttered.  
  
"The hot springs ARE a good idea." Glorfindel commented, and I arched an eyebrow at him.  
  
"No offence, but no." I said. "Unless you want to go alone."  
  
"You did not seem to mind yesterday." Glorfindel said, also arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Actually, that was honestly just a desire to see you shirtless." I said with a light frown. Glorfindel chuckled and took a step closer to me. I tensed - this was the perfect lead-in to that conversation about Glorfindel and my's relationship that I wanted, but if the Elf-lord kissed me, any chance at a serious conversation would be lost. Glorfindel, however, is a very smart elf, and he did nothing more than wrap his arms around my waist.  
  
"Glorfindel, what are we? Technically?" I asked him, tilting my head to one side. Glorfindel pondered that for a moment, not even bothering to ask what I meant.  
  
"Actively courting?" he suggested. I arched an eyebrow at the implications of that. That he hadn't said 'really close friends' was encouraging, as was the fact that he didn't try 'lovers in the making' (though once again, I wasn't sure if Elves even did that sort of thing outside of marriage). However, that left the obvious middle-ground, which could lead to a far more permanent connection than the two extremes. Glorfindel smiled as he saw my trepidation over the term, and kissed me lightly on the forehead. "I honestly am not all that sure. I am just responding to the situation and my feelings." he said, resting his chin on my head as I rested my head against his chest. I sighed.  
  
"Well, I guess there's some things even several thousand years of life can't prepare you for." I said.  
  
"Especially when the majority of the female population has been afraid of you for the past 3000 years." Glorfindel said with a snort. I lifted my head and looked up at him in amusement.  
  
"Afraid of you? Whyever would they be afraid of you?" I asked. Glorfindel shrugged.  
  
"I do not know. Maybe it was my return?" he said with an air of casualness.  
  
"Oh?" I arched an eyebrow, asking for elaboration.  
  
"I believe Gil-Galad put it rather succinctly when he told me to stop trying to compete with the sun." Glorfindel said innocently, and I burst out laughing. Glorfindel grinned. "He also told me to get some clothes on."  
  
"You came back naked?" I snickered.  
  
"Well, no clothes in death." Glorfindel said with a shrug.  
  
"So does that mean all the Elves in the Halls of Mandos are naked?" I asked thoughtfully, and Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"Maybe." he said. "I do not recall."  
  
"Well, I'll just have to avoid dying, then, because I sure as hell don't wanna get there and find out the answer's 'yes'." I said, wrinkling my nose. Glorfindel glanced down at me in amusement. "Shut up, reserved human attitude." I scowled up at him, and he laughed.  
  
"I think Lady Galadriel will have left my flet by now." he said, stepping away. "I will see you later?"  
  
"Of course, Mr. Sun." I replied promptly. Glorfindel rolled his eyes.  
  
"You and Gil-Galad would have gotten along perfectly." he said. "It almost makes me glad he is not around to become your ally in terror." I grinned.  
  
"Well, if I ever die, all you have to do is avoid dying again yourself, and then you won't be subjected to the horror." I said.  
  
"On the contrary, I think Mandos would get sick of you two terrorizing his Halls and send you back for me to deal with." Glorfindel said, planting a brief but intense kiss on my lips. Then he stepped away and made an extravagant bow. "Later, m'lady." I grinned rather stupidly as he left, and once I collected my brain cells from the puddle they'd made on the floor, set to seeing about a bath.  
  
----To be continued...with one of my little time-warps!----  
(And philophisizing about Sindar Elves!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Well, there's the next chapter. I almost got writers block, but galadhrim.net and it's Erestor slash saved me. *twitch* No, I don't know why I was reading Erestor slash. Nor do I know why it cured my writer's block. All I know is that it did and I am now rather twitchy as Thranduil/Erestor images keep popping into my head.  
  
...  
  
*twitch*  
  
(Though I must say, I ran into a rather nice characterization of Rumil in my explorations...BubblyHappyBabbling!Rumil. So cute! ^.^)  
  
And now...someone asked in a review last chapter if this story was almost done, or if I've got a ways to go yet? Deffinately the latter. I've got a plot point or two, a war, the Fellowship...some Haldir torture...some Rachel torture...and all sorts of other fun stuff coming up! Expect AT LEAST 10 more chapters. Most likely more...no, scratch that, deffinately more. *cough* This is turning into a blasted saga...*mumbles* Oh well.  
  
And on that note, thanks to all my reviewers, you're all wonderful! Now I'm gonna blow this popsicle stand and get back to writing actual chapters instead of Author's Notes...  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	53. Dance

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Snowflake #1: CS owns nothing.  
  
Snowflake #2: Except a whole bunch of us.  
  
Snowflake #3: Which she doesn't really, since we're not really objects that can be bought or sold.  
  
Snowflake #4: Though by rights we should be, since we are all unique pieces of art.  
  
Snowflake #3: Yeah, but since there's so many of us, I doubt we would be worth very much.  
  
Snowflake #5: Even if they could find a way to preserve us.  
  
Rachel: It's called a freezer.  
  
Snowflake #5: Oh. Right.  
  
Snowflake #3: Still, our commonness would still stop us from being worth very much.  
  
Snowflake #2: Is 'commonness' a word?  
  
Snowflake #4: I don't think so...  
  
Snowflake #1: Who cares? Stop picking things apart!  
  
Snowflake #3: Yeah. You're always so picky, why don't you stop it? *pokes snowflake #2*  
  
Snowflake #2: Hey! No poking! *bumps into snowflake #3*  
  
Snowflake #3: Oh, you did not just bump into me.  
  
Snowflake #2: And what if I did, huh?  
  
Snowflake #3: You wanna fight?! You wanna FIGHT?!  
  
*snowflake #2 and #3 start fighting*  
  
...  
  
Rachel: Yep, the weather has finally made CS lose the last of her marbles...  
  
Glorfindel: What I want to know is how the snowflakes can use swords without hands...*looks confused*  
  
-53: Dance-  
  
The next two weeks in Lothlórien were spent quite pleasantly for me, as Kari drafted me to help her prepare for her Yuletide Feast, and gave me charge of the decorating of the feast hall. Normally, this would be a rather simple job of organizing Lothlórien ladies to go find flowers, leaves, or whatnot in the forest, and then finding some extra lanterns and arranging it all nicely. Kari, however, had to repeatedly warn me to tone down on the sparkly stuff, and not to create anything that would scare the Elves, like Santa Claus. She was forced to concede on the artificial snowman, however, when Glorfindel took a look at the sketch I'd made and commented on it looking cute and recalling Elladan and Elrohir making them when they were younger. Later prodding revealed that, as I had suspected, the snowmen made by the twins often had an uncanny resemblance to whoever the two were currently unhappy with, and often had filched arrows sticking through uncomfortable areas. I contemplated following the example and making the snowman look like Galadriel, but decided that wouldn't be wise.  
  
While we're on the topic of Galadriel, she had finally gotten the full and true story about the river from Haldir - who had defended himself to us later by saying that he could not lie to his liege lady - and had not been happy with Glorfindel or Kari. Kari was sentenced to run errands for her grandmother in-between her planning for the Yuletide feast, while Glorfindel was 'politely asked' to help with the patrols on the borders. I think that punishment kind of backfired on Galadriel, however, as she looked quite annoyed when I returned to Caras Galadhon with the patrol and innocently said that I'd followed them. It was more out of boredom than a strong desire not to be parted from Glorfindel - I knew he was going to be sticking around for awhile. I just wanted to get out of Caras Galadhon.  
  
On that occasion, Celeborn looked like he was trying very very hard not to laugh. Glorfindel commented later that Celeborn's Sindar upbringing was probably exerting itself and its amusement over having a Noldo's plan thwarted. Certainly, Celeborn earned my stamp of approval for that, and from then after I went to him if I needed any sort of permission or supplies that only a ruler of the Golden Wood could give. Which was actually rather a bad thing when put in connection with Kari's adversity to sparkly stuff, as Celeborn turned out to share Thranduil's almost dwarven like of anything sparkly - though he hid it much better than the Mirkwood King. I wondered if this was perhaps a Sindar trait, and if so, did that mean I was a Sindar elf?  
  
As for Glorfindel and I, we continued with our 'active courting'. Though several comments from Celeborn, Haldir, Galadriel AND Kari made me aware of the fact that the type of...physical relationship that Glorfindel and I were enjoying was not considered entirely proper for Elves. I kept meaning to ask Kari more about it, and about Elvish courting in general - I hadn't read all that much on it back on earth, and Kari's first-hand experience would probably be better, anyways - but I never got around to it. Glorfindel didn't seem to mind the comments or the 'improper' relationship, at any rate.  
  
Kari and I continued with our friendship, which was quickly growing back to the same insanity as before, and we often scared people we were around together (though Glorfindel - quickly becoming equally strange - took it all in stride, and Haldir merely muttered and wandered off). However, this time, to our amusement, our roles were somewhat reversed - I was the more wild of the two of us, and Kari the more reserved. Kari was still the master of innuendo and Dirty Thoughts, however. Apparently she had had Elladan to spar with to help keep that particular trait going.  
  
As for Haldir...well, that relationship went along much as it had begun, despite orders otherwise. Galadriel came across Haldir and me during one of our little verbal sparring matches one afternoon. She was Not Pleased, and ordered Haldir (since she had no command over me, as I had curtly informed her when she tried to stop me from following Glorfindel on his patrols) to either stop talking to me, or to clean up the way he spoke with me. After she left, it only took three pointed remarks before Haldir went back to giving as good as he got.  
  
And so, before I knew it, the afternoon before Kari's Yuletide Feast had come around. Galadriel attempted, in vain, to send Glorfindel and Haldir both out on patrols for the day and night (what is it with her and separating me from them?) but Celeborn beat her to it by announcing that all the patrols could come in for the feast. As he later commented, Galadriel would sense any incursion, anyways.  
  
Still, everyone tiptoed around Galadriel, and Haldir worriedly commented that this was the first time in over a thousand years that he had seen his Lord and Lady not on the best of terms. I told him not to worry - every couple needed a good fight every now and again to get out all their frustrations. Kari, of course, put in that Celebrían might even end up with a sibling out of the deal when Galadriel and Celeborn decided to make up. Haldir twitched and left in a hurry.  
  
Eventually it came time to personally prepare for the actual feast, and Kari and I were - for the first time since we'd had breakfast that morning - forced to go our separate ways. We had spent the entire day running around checking on everyone to be sure that the feast was ready. Technically, I was supposed to be one of those that Kari checked up on, since I was head of the decorations department, but I'd drafted Glorfindel for that when Kari had shown up during breakfast. It really is amazing what a smile can get you when used in the right spot. Judging from the glare Glorfindel gave me the first time Kari and I checked up on him, however, I would be paying for sticking him with the job later.  
  
Anyways. As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I only had one fancy dress with me, so I would be wearing it to the feast. Kari had suggested I get another one made, but I briskly informed her that after getting my breeches and tunics made just before I left Rivendell, I wasn't about to subject myself to seamstresses again any time soon. So the blue dress it was.  
  
I took, like most respectable ladies, at least an hour to get ready - mostly because Glorfindel showed up halfway through my preparations (barging in without even knocking, thank the Valar I was already wearing my dress) and spent the rest of the time distracting me through various means. Like kissing me senseless, reading aloud from his history book (which had somehow gravitated to my room over the last two weeks), or throwing pillows at me, which I had to duck and do fancy shenanigans to avoid lest I mess up the intricate braid work I was attempting to do in my hair.  
  
I finally solved the Glorfindel Problem by drafting him to do my braids, which he was actually more than happy to do, as it involved playing with my hair - something he'd taken a liking to doing. Apparently he liked long, straight black hair...or maybe it was just my hair. I really didn't care as long as he stopped distracting me and finished off the braiding properly. Which he did, much to my relief.  
  
"Wonderful!" I said happily when he'd finished, inspecting his handiwork in a mirror. "And now that that is done, we can get going!"  
  
"Finally." Glorfindel commented.  
  
"Well if you hadn't distracted me..." I said, tossing a glare in his direction.  
  
"Think of it as revenge for leaving me to the decorating all day." Glorfindel said with a grin, and then held out a hand to me. I took it, and we headed off down to the feast.  
  
Surprisingly, we weren't late when we arrived, though the majority of the people that warranted a seat at the main table were already there - those warranting seats there including Celeborn, Galadriel, Kari, Glorfindel, me, and the rest of the organizing heads for the feast. Everyone else important in another way - like, say, being the Marchwarden of Lothlórien, or the Boatmaster - got to sit down at the heads of the 'common' tables. It was all, I had been informed, a complex arrangement according to rank and how easily certain Elves were insulted. It was beyond me, at any rate - always had been.  
  
Not long after Glorfindel and my's arrival, the feast began, and the next few hours were pleasantly spent eating a wide range of foods, some of which were actually Middle-Earth versions or re-creations of Christmas dishes from back home. Others, however, were purely Elvish, and absolutely exquisite. This was, I decided as the feast progressed, one of the few things I had missed when I'd been off gallivanting around Gondor and Rohan - Elvish food. After all, with chefs having several thousand years to perfect their skills, is it any wonder that the food was about fifty billion times more delicious and wonderful than human food? Though some of the Rohirric dishes had their charm...and the breads of that one bakery in Minas Tirith were absolutely to die for.  
  
Anyways, enough with the hobbit talk. After the food there was, quite predictably, dancing! Over the past two weeks I'd gotten to know more Elves in Lothlórien - and true to form for me, most of them were male (Glorfindel, surprisingly and most happily, did not seem to mind this in the least) - so this time, it wasn't just Glorfindel who I had to turn down dancing offers from. Rúmil and Orophin, surprisingly (considering how I treated their brother) were the two I had grown closest to, and when I turned them both down, they started talking, and the next thing I knew, they had cornered me and seemed just about ready to drag me out to dance.  
  
"The only way you'll get me out there is if there's a Rohirric jig going, and somebody else around here is found who can dance said jig!" I said firmly as they pleaded and cajoled to try and get me to go out onto the dance floor. They looked about ready to insist more, but Glorfindel showed up at that moment.  
  
"She will not even dance with me." he said dryly. "So I suggest you give it up."  
  
"I have not even seen you ask her!" Rúmil said.  
  
"That's because I've told him before that I can't dance." I said, waggling a finger at Rúmil. Rúmil and Orophin looked at each other in silence for a moment.  
  
"You cannot dance?!" Orophin exclaimed with only partly mock horror.  
  
"I can dance on my own, when there are no rules, and I can dance Rohirric jigs and reels, but the rest of it - no." I said blandly. Rúmil and Orophin exchanged glances again, and then abruptly moved off.  
  
"Drunk or dancing lessons?" Glorfindel asked me, cocking his head to one side as he watched the retreating brothers. He was referring, of course, to what they would do in retaliation.  
  
"Probably both, knowing them." I grumped. Sure enough, Orophin showed up a short time later with two goblets of an alcoholic beverage, and I was forced to take one for the sake of being polite. After I finished that glass, Orophin wandered off, and Rúmil came over with another drink for me. When I was done with that glass, Orophin showed up again, and so on and so forth. They followed me around wherever I went and wouldn't let me escape, and would start pestering me about dancing if I didn't drink.  
  
I was just beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol - apparently they had nothing as strong as Rivendell Mirovur or Dorwinnian Wine in Lothlórien, so it was taking longer than normal for me to succumb - when I felt a sudden shift in the tempo of the music. I was talking to Rúmil at the time, and he looked at me strangely as I stopped in the middle of a sentence.  
  
"I know that tempo..." I said thoughtfully, struggling to remember where I had heard it before. My attempts were interrupted when Celeborn suddenly appeared in front of me.  
  
"I heard a rumor that you know how to dance Rohirric jigs?" he asked blandly, holding out a hand in an invitation to dance. My jaw dropped momentarily.  
  
"No way." I said, and then grinned. "You are so frigging cool, Celeborn." He shrugged noncommittally.  
  
"It does away with my nickname." he said innocently. I laughed, then handed my goblet of wine off to Rúmil before taking Celeborn's hand and letting myself be led out onto the dance floor. The dance floor had emptied quite quickly of confused Elves when the musicians had started in on the new tempo, so Celeborn and I were now quite conspicuous as we went directly to the center and had a quick conference about which jig to dance.  
  
There were a limited number of ones that could be done with only two people, and Celeborn only knew a few, but we settled on one of them easily - an active one that, unlike some of the other dances, didn't really require a lot of the more wild (or intimate) dancing. I think it was a harvest celebration dance - I hadn't really paid attention when my instructor in the dance had been explaining it to me a few hundred years ago.  
  
As we danced, I absently - because any serious thought would cause a mistake - wondered where Celeborn had picked up a Rohirric jig. I'd never heard mention of him going near Rohan...but then, they were neighbors of a sort. Or maybe Aragorn learned it and passed it on? He'd passed through Rohan as Thorongil. I decided I'd ask Celeborn later.  
  
After a short while, I became aware of the fact that several other adventurous elves had also taken to the dance floor, and were doing an Elvish-like imitation of the jig. It was quite amusing to see out of the corner of my eye, as the true appeal of all jigs is that you're not SUPPOSED to look graceful and coordinated. Half the time you look like you're drunk, in fact - and the Elves, except for Celeborn, just ruined that. I smirked at the realization that I had found something Men could do better than Elves, resolving to tell the Rohirrim at the next opportunity to do so.  
  
The dance eventually ended, and Celeborn and I left the dancing floor as the musicians returned to their normal music. Glorfindel and Galadriel were waiting for us.  
  
"Where the buttermonkey did you learn a Rohirric jig, Celeborn?" I asked, grabbing Glorfindel's goblet and taking a drink of whatever was in it. Celeborn, I get the feeling, would have done the same to Galadriel, but she was prepared and had another goblet exclusively for him.  
  
"Estel." Celeborn said, confirming one of my previous suppositions. "But it has been a long time since there has been a suitable partner."  
  
"I bet." I said with a chuckle, getting a mental image of Aragorn teaching Celeborn the jig we'd just done.  
  
"Where did you learn that?" Kari asked, suddenly popping up.  
  
"Who, me or Celeborn?" I asked, blinking.  
  
"Both." she replied.  
  
"Estel." Celeborn replied once again.  
  
"Rohan." I said with a grin.  
  
"Dammit, I wanna go to Rohan." Kari muttered.  
  
"And I want to go to Dol Amroth!" I said, waving a hand through the air dismissively. "But we can't always have what we want. Or at least, not when we want it."  
  
"Yeah." Kari said with a sigh. "I've always wanted to see Minas Tirith, as well...you're lucky in that regard, at least."  
  
"Tell you what, wait 52 days and I'll go anywhere you want with you." I said, nodding emphatically. "And we can haul Glorfindel along with us to scare away nasty orcses."  
  
"You are both supposed to remain here until the end of the War, for good or for bad." Galadriel put in pointedly.  
  
"And?" I asked her blankly. Galadriel glared at me, and I meeped and hid behind Glorfindel.  
  
"You seem a little...tipsy, Rachel." Kari commented.  
  
"Blame Rúmil and Orophin." I announced. "They're evil and have been giving me alcohol all evening."  
  
"And she just took a large gulp of Dorwinnian Wine." Glorfindel said dryly. "Though this is about half the strength of what she had in Rivendell." I peered around Glorfindel at his goblet.  
  
"Dorwinnian Wine? Where'd you get that?" I asked. Glorfindel looked at Galadriel. Galadriel looked pointedly at me, and I giggled. Celeborn shook his head and took the opportunity to escort Galadriel out of there, knowing that letting her and I remain in the same area for much longer would result in Bad Things happening.  
  
"I drove Galadriel to drink." I said with a snicker once they were gone.  
  
"That is not exactly something to be proud of." Glorfindel said with a small frown.  
  
"Yes it is!" Kari and I chorused.  
  
"And anyways, it serves our purpose, as that way she probably won't try too terribly hard to stop Kari and me from heading off for Minas Tirith, Rohan, Dol Amroth, or wherever in 52 days." I said cheerfully.  
  
"You are serious about that?" Kari asked, her eyebrows shooting up.  
  
"If we can get Glorfindel to come with us, you bet I'm serious." I said, then added in a low whisper, "Lothlórien is boring." Kari and Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"So?" Kari asked, turning to Glorfindel. "Shall we make plans for it?" Glorfindel hesitated.  
  
"I am supposed to return to Rivendell at some point..." he said uneasily.  
  
"Pshaw. They can survive without you." I said dismissively. Glorfindel glanced down at me in amusement.  
  
"And I have a feeling that if I do not go, you will simply kidnap some other poor Elf instead." he said, then held up a hand as we started to protest. "So I shall go." he said.  
  
"Yay! You're munderful." I said, giving Glorfindel a big hug.  
  
"Glad to know." he said dryly.  
  
----To be continued...with...um...actually, I'm not going to spoil this one...----  
(Suffice it to say I'm sure any romantics reading this story will enjoy the next chapter.)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
O.o Whoa. Didn't know so many reviewers paid attention to my little note about when I would be updating next...I shall be sure to continue putting it in...  
  
In other news, I think I jinxed my city/region when I wrote that chapter about Rachel and Glorfindel getting snowed in by a blizzard...Since I've posted it, there's been 2 blizzards out here in as many weeks. Lots and LOTS of snow - and a 40-car pile-up on the highway. Gurg. Only good thing is that it's only -11 outside, and the snow is big and fluffy.  
  
And now, because it's been awhile since I gave anything away to my reviewers (and therefore, all the Elven rulers have relaxed their guards) and seamonkeysis requested it - everybody gets random Lothlorien elves! Do with them what you will! Just be sure to stuff them into a cupboard or something if Galadriel comes searching...  
  
See ya Saturday!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	54. Meleth

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Gil-Galad: *brushing snow out of his hair* You know, it wasn't so much the snow that I minded, it was the fact that Elrond and Glorfindel both found it so amusing to team up and bury me in it.  
  
Rúmil: *standing by a fire trying to dry off* Well, what did you expect? You were their commander, leige lord, and king, for what, 3000 years? They were bound to want some payback. And anyways, you hit them with snow first.  
  
Gil-Galad: Only to prove to them the dangers of standing with ones mouth open.  
  
Rúmil: See, things like that are exactly why they would want some payback.  
  
Gil-Galad: Hmm...I suppose you have a point.  
  
Rúmil: Really? *looks surprised* Can you tell Haldir that? He doesn't believe I can make sense...  
  
Haldir: *appearing* That's because you don't. Most of the time. And the times you do make sense, it's usually because you're forgetting something important.  
  
Rúmil: No it isn't! I'm not forgetting anything important now!  
  
Haldir: Yes, you are.  
  
Rúmil: No I'm not! Tell him, Gil-Galad!  
  
Gil-Galad: Actually, he's right. You are forgetting something.  
  
Rúmil: *blink* Oh. What?  
  
Haldir: The disclaimer.  
  
Rúmil: *smacks head against wall* Doh. *shakes head and looks dizzy for a moment, due to the rather hard hit his head just took*  
  
Haldir: *quietly* And that is why he either forgets things or makes no sense....  
  
Gil-Galad: *trying not to laugh* CS owns nothing.  
  
Haldir: Especially not the recognizable characters in this story.  
  
Gil-Galad: As evidenced by the fact that we last left her burried to her neck in snow, with Galadriel, Celeborn and Glorfindel happily shaping the snow around her into a rather acurate - at least according to them - sculpture of Morgoth's body.  
  
-54: Meleth-  
  
As it turned out, even the fact that I had gotten up and danced wasn't stopping my Rúmil and Orophin from continuing to try and get me drunk. As soon as I wandered away from Glorfindel - who had been cornered by some boring old elf-lord - I myself was cornered, and once again I found myself with a drink in my hand. It was, however, the Dorwinnian Wine from Glorfindel's glass that truly did me in - it had tipped me enough over the edge that I didn't even notice I was getting drunk anymore. Fortunately, Kari noticed my dilemma when she went to find Haldir and found him laughing his arse off at my antics. (Stupid elf)  
  
Anyways. Kari didn't even try and stop Rúmil and Orophin, instead going right to Glorfindel and innocently making some suggestions about certain people needing to leave. Glorfindel quickly located me, took one look at my inebriated state, and thumped both Rúmil - the one currently giving me drinks - and Haldir before pulling me out of the main feast area. He didn't get much further, however, because outside of the ring of light, I couldn't see anything, and promptly fell flat on my face. So Glorfindel ended up carrying me to my flet, I making dirty suggestions the entire way.  
  
And no, I don't remember any of this. I got it all out of Glorfindel the next morning, after I woke up in my underdress, with Glorfindel beside me in nothing. Period. This, understandably, worried me, but the explanation proved to be that once Glorfindel had gotten me up to my flet, I'd - oh so romantically - thrown up on him. He'd put me in bed - hence how I was only wearing an underdress - taken a bath, then intended to go back to his flet, but before he could even get his mostly clean breeches on to head over there, drunken me, who had pulled herself out of bed, latched onto him and dragged him back to bed. Due to my drunken shiftings and my freakishly (his own word) strong grip, his towel came off at some point and he was unable to put it - or his trousers - back on. Hence Glorfindel's lack of clothing.  
  
"I WILL kill someone for this." I muttered when Glorfindel finished his account.  
  
"I am sure you will." Glorfindel said with amusement. "But now, since you are awake and it is morning, perhaps YOU could go to my flet and get me a clean set of clothes?" He arched an eyebrow at me.  
  
"I could." I said, and then grinned evilly. "Or I could just keep you here for ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and -" I was interrupted with a kiss. This, unfortunately, was in turn interrupted by a knock on the door.  
  
"Who the bloody hell is it?!" I called out in annoyance, breaking away from Glorfindel.  
  
"Your partner in crime!" Kari called back.  
  
"Go away!" I replied.  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Ha!"  
  
"Dammit!" Kari exclaimed.  
  
"Elves don't get hangovers! You can't trick me that way anymore!" I said, sticking my tongue out in the direction of the outside door, even though she couldn't see it. "Now go away!"  
  
"But everybody else is sleeping and I'm booooored!" Kari whined.  
  
"Go wake up Haldir then!" I said.  
  
"Uh, he went off with Valinlot last night." Kari replied. "They looked frisky."  
  
"Go bug Galadriel or Celeborn then!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Already did. Galadriel threatened to make me think I was a frog for a few hundred years if I didn't go away..." Kari said.  
  
"Rachel, just go get me some trousers and talk to her." Glorfindel said in exasperation.  
  
"No." I said stubbornly. Glorfindel arched an eyebrow in warning, and I sighed, crawling out of bed and stalking out of the bedroom and off to the door.  
  
"Ah!" Kari exclaimed happily when I opened the door, and then immediately turned fearful as she saw my look.  
  
"I have Glorfindel in my bed naked. Go away." I growled. Kari squeaked and dashed off. I nodded in satisfaction and then went back into the bedroom.  
  
"You NEVER do as you are told, do you?" Glorfindel asked with amusement.  
  
"Nope. It's a disease the doctors were trying to cure me of when I left Earth." I replied, flopping back down onto the bed. Glorfindel sighed.  
  
"A pity you did not stay around for them to actually cure it." he said.  
  
"Oh come on, don't tell me you're not enjoying this." I retorted. Glorfindel looked me up and down for a moment, then down at himself.  
  
"Actually, I would not say I am." he said, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, then abruptly rolled so he was on top of me - with the sheet wrapping around him at around stomach level - and kissed me quite thoroughly. I had slowly become acclimated to Elven kisses, so I didn't quite lose ALL coherence now, and was able to decide after a short time that this was the absolute best way EVER to wake up. Bar the annoying friend butting in.  
  
The kissing continued for quite some time, and seemed liable to turn into something more, when Glorfindel abruptly broke away and simply let his head drop down over my shoulder onto the pillow. I was panting somewhat - and I could hear him doing the same - and merely eyed the golden hair that represented his head out of the corner of my eye for a few moments before speaking.  
  
"Glorfindel?" I asked. There was no response, so I poked him and repeated myself. This time I got a response, as he raised himself up on his elbows and looked down at me with an almost frighteningly intense gaze. I looked back at him curiously.  
  
"I love you, Rachel." he said softly. I blinked up at him, and then the words sunk in. I tilted my head to one side, looking up at him with a carefully blank expression. Inside, his words were running on repeat in the background while I thought furiously. Glorfindel and I had been playing around for the past two weeks, yes, and we'd jokingly called it 'active courting', with all that that implied. But this was the first time anything had truly gone in that implied direction, and the first time he'd seriously spoken of love. And he was as serious as he could get right now - I was sure of that.  
  
The question was, how was I going to respond? I know only a month or so ago I would have run away screaming. But this was not a month ago. Nor even a few weeks ago, when we had been trapped in those ruins during the snowstorm and I had realized that I could come to love Glorfindel. It was now, and I needed to know if I was in love with him or not - or at least respond to him in some way. He was still looking at me with that intense gaze, but he could probably keep it on his face and be panicking under the surface - Glorfindel was rather handy at hiding his true emotions when he wanted to.  
  
I was getting distracted. I needed to respond in some way, not just lie there like an idiot. So, I did a quick inventory of my feelings, mentally asked myself a few questions, answered them (also mentally), and came up with a response.  
  
"And I you." I said, pulling myself up to brush a light, tender kiss over his lips. The poor elf practically sagged against me with relief, and I couldn't help but smile. "Really Glorfindel, you're the only one I've been involved with for the past 800 years, and I agreed to the term 'actively courting'. You know as well as I what that implies. And if you asked Kari, you'd find out that I never fooled around much on Earth."  
  
"Nerves are nerves." Glorfindel mumbled into my hair, where he'd buried his face.  
  
"Indeed they are." I said, still smiling. There was a short silence.  
  
"I would really like some trousers." Glorfindel commented, face still buried in my hair, and I burst out laughing.  
  
"If only all men had your restraint, Glorfindel!" I giggled, pushing him off me so he was on his back on the other side of the bed. "I'll go get you some trousers." I hopped up off the bed, found a casual dress, and threw it on.  
  
"Thanks!" Glorfindel called out after me. I chuckled and headed over to Glorfindel's flet to get him his trousers - and a tunic, though he hadn't asked for it. Arriving back at my flet, I threw Glorfindel's clothes to him, then grabbed some cleaner clothes of my own and disappeared into the bathroom. When I finally emerged some time later - nice and sparkly clean after my bath - I found that Glorfindel's dirty clothes had disappeared, and Glorfindel himself was sitting in my main room, draped over a chair and reading a book.  
  
I grinned as I saw how he was sitting in the chair - it was something that he'd picked up from Kari and me. We were always sitting in chairs in odd ways - whatever way was comfortable, really - and after the first week, I started to find him also sitting in weird positions in chairs. Questioning had resulted in a shrug and the comment that it was comfortable. And so we proved that Elvish grace could be corrupted. Not that he didn't still look graceful draped across a chair, but usually getting into such a position, or out of it, required acrobatics that weren't always the most graceful - or safe. One time I whacked my head into a wall getting out of a chair I'd draped myself across. (That was the wall's fault, though...)  
  
"What book are you reading?" I asked, peeking over his shoulder. Over the last two weeks, books had started gravitating from the Caras Galadhon library to my room. I suspected this was because my flet had become the most common place to find either Kari, Glorfindel or I - and as all three of us liked reading (well, Glorfindel sort of put up with it as a time filler), books just tended to end up here, even if I wasn't reading them.  
  
"Something on flowers of the forest, I think." Glorfindel answered, looking as if he didn't know whether to be horrified, amused, or disgusted.  
  
"You think?" I asked, arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Whoever wrote this was rather scatterbrained." Glorfindel replied, closing the book with a snap, turning his attention to me. "I feel like escaping for the day. How about we go find our horses and explore some of Lothlórien?"  
  
"As long as it includes a picnic, I'm all for it!" I said cheerfully.  
  
"Done." Glorfindel said, putting the book on a nearby table, and then pausing as he tried to figure out how to get out of the chair safely. In the end, it required a little roll and some quick grabbing of nearby furniture to keep him from falling over. Not the most graceful. I snickered, and Glorfindel arched an eyebrow at me. I shot him an innocent look, and then gave him a peck on the cheek before grabbing his hand and pulling him out of my flet and down to the kitchens.  
  
Miraculously, we ran into no one who wanted to speak with Glorfindel, and we put in our order to the slightly tired-looking cooks for a picnic quickly and scampered off to find the horses. Glorfindel, it appeared, knew exactly where the horses were being kept - and claimed that I should, too, since he'd shown me on the tour. A quick duck followed my response that I'd long since forgotten everything from the tour, and so Glorfindel's attempt to thwap me failed.  
  
Aratelpe and Asfaloth were quite happy to see us - well, once they got over being mad at us for deserting them for two weeks. But Glorfindel and I had grabbed carrots while we were in the kitchens, so soon we were once again in our horses' good graces. We decided that, since we were going to be taking a picnic with us, we'd bridle and saddle both the horses, and did so before Glorfindel headed back to the kitchens to pick up our picnic. When he returned, we arranged the two baskets - the cooks had split it from one big basket when Glorfindel had told them we were going out on horses - on the back of the horses, and then mounted up and headed out.  
  
Galadriel, of course, appeared just as we were leaving Caras Galadhon.  
  
"Where are you going?" she asked.  
  
"Out." I replied with a roll of my eyes.  
  
"And have you informed anyone of this?" she asked, ignoring my insolence. Glorfindel and I glanced at each other.  
  
"No, but Kari will figure it out." I said, smirking, as I looked back as Galadriel. Galadriel sighed.  
  
"Even Lothlórien has become perilous. Do not stray near the edges of the wood." she said, and then glided off.  
  
"Yes, Mother." I grumbled, glaring after her. From the way Galadriel stiffened almost imperceptibly, I knew she heard me.  
  
"Do you enjoy antagonizing one of the most powerful Elven rulers in Middle-Earth?" Glorfindel asked with amusement as we finally left Caras Galadhon.  
  
"I can't help it; she just rubs me the wrong way." I said with a shrug. "She does, in a way, remind me of my mother, but she's also always acting so all-knowing, and it gets on my nerves. Gandalf gets on my nerves for the same reason. Probably the only one who wouldn't get on my nerves for being all-knowing would be Eru."  
  
"What about the Valar?" Glorfindel asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"They would annoy me, too. Because I know they're not all-knowing. The only one who's all-knowing is someone who has created the universe and knows in exactly what direction it's going to go, what people are going to make what choices, and so on and so forth." I replied promptly. "The Valar are each all-knowing in their own particular areas, but neither of them, from what I understand, know much about another's domain. Therefore, they are not all-knowing." Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"You have a point." he said.  
  
"Course I have a point. I always have a point. Even if it's just that Elvish stomachs are susceptible to the same weaknesses as human ones when exposed to too much alcohol." I replied with a grin, and this time Glorfindel outright laughed. I loved to make him do that - he had a wonderful laugh. It wasn't musical or light like you'd think an elf would laugh, but full of life and joy, as if it came from a child just starting to explore the world. I sound like a lovesick fool, I know - but even Kari had commented that Glorfindel had a different sort of laugh than most Elves. I put it down to his death and return... (But then, I blamed a lot of things on that, including his indescribable sexiness.)  
  
We continued on into the forest, and though we kept in mind Galadriel's warning not to go to close to the edges of Lothlórien and never came too close to the border guard, we still made our way as far from Caras Galadhon as we could, forgetting it and everything else in the outside world. Today was just about us - and though we didn't consciously think about it, it was about our newly discovered love.  
  
----To be continued...with *drumroll* the Fellowship of the Ring!----  
(Yep, they've finally made it to Lothlorien!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
I found a wonderful explanation for Glorfindel's absence from the LotR movies the other day. He's so pretty no actor pretty enough to play him could be found. Frankly - I agree. Though Theban Band did a pretty good job of finding someone pretty enough...but then, they do photo manips, so whoever they got to use for Glorfindel (I found out who, but I forget now) might be prettied up beyond what is physically and humanly possible...  
  
Anyways, happy Valentines Day to all my reviewers! *hands out some cyber chocolate chip cookies* Hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll see you all again on Tuesday!  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	55. Boredom

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own absolutely nothing...except Gil-Galad. Because he's a man-whore and sold himself to me.  
  
Gil-Galad: *cringe* I did not.  
  
CS: Yes you did.  
  
Gil-Galad: All I said was that if you paid me enough, I'd tell the Valar nothing strange was going on in your disclaimers even if it was...I said nothing about selling myself.  
  
CS: Mm-hm. Whatever. You're mine now! MINE! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *grabs Gil-Galad and runs off into the distance*  
  
...  
  
Glorfindel: Hmm...think we should rescue him?  
  
Elrond: No, he deserves it. Going and dieing without an heir...*grumbles*  
  
Rachel: Somebodies bitter.  
  
Glorfindel: He's just upset that no secret document proclaiming him heir was ever found...  
  
-55: Boredom-  
  
Lothlórien is boring. It is the most beautiful place in the world, and a lovely place to wander around in a lovesick daze, but if you have nothing official to do, it's absolutely, utterly BORING. At least to me. Other elves may like simply strolling through pretty woods, or under the sparkly stars, or copying histories in the library so that they won't be lost 'to the ravages of time', but I am, as we have established already, not your typical elf. I like to DO things, and the occasional sword-fighting lesson just didn't cut it. Neither did taking rides on Aratelpe.  
  
Which made it really no surprise that within a week and a half of the Yuletide Feast, I drove Galadriel to the point where she ordered me to head out with the next border patrol. Glorfindel's little excursions with border patrols had stopped after the Yuletide Feast, and even then I had technically only been tagging along, and had not actually been expected to take part. This time I would be. And as I was still horrible at using a sword, and had demonstrated my skill in archery a few days after the Yuletide Feast when I'd shot the target beside the one I'd been aiming for, this not only horrified most of the other elves in Lothlórien, but scared the elves that might be called to go out on patrol soon. Galadriel ordered me to go out, however, and in a rare show of obedience, I let nothing dissuade me from following her orders - not even Glorfindel.  
  
Of course, as luck would have it, Haldir's patrol was the next to be heading out of Lothlórien. The members of his patrol all let out barely audible groans as I popped up (Haldir and my's 'conversations' had become almost legendary), but as I wanted to continue being able to go out with patrols, I did not start in on my usual verbal war. Haldir looked mildly surprised when I failed to respond to his insults, so I explained to him the situation, and after a brief argument over my 'insulting' the Golden Wood and it's Lady, Haldir and I subsided and spent the entire patrol not speaking to each other. The only words he ever aimed my way were orders - and they were mostly 'stay here'. Which I was more than happy to do.  
  
The patrol itself lasted a week, and when I got back, I was treated to a wonderful dinner by Kari - along with Haldir, Val, and Glorfindel, of course. (About Valinlot's nickname - she heard me use it one time, and decided she liked it, so it stuck. Haldir even called her by it sometimes...though most often he just used 'love' and other sickeningly cute pet names. She seemed to enjoy them, but I felt like throwing up whenever he used them.) And as if that wasn't enough, Glorfindel turned out to be quite happy I was back, and pulled some rather romantic stuff that night. Oh yes, that patrol was an all-around wonderful thing.  
  
Unfortunately, Galadriel seemed to realize that I'd enjoyed going out on the patrol, and so my next attempt to annoy her to the point of sending me out with a patrol resulted in me being ordered to organize the books in the library - which Kari and I had completely messed up. And this time, Galadriel hit the mark, because as much as I love reading books, I hate organizing them. So I was stuck in the library, organizing books, when I suddenly realized that it was the 15th of January. The day the Fellowship arrived in Lothlórien.  
  
"Holy flying penguins, Batman!" I exclaimed entirely randomly, and then put down the book I'd been looking for the proper spot for on a nearby table and dashed out. I hunted down Kari, and then dragged her away from the ladies she was talking to.  
  
"Rachel, what on Arda are you so worked up about?" Kari asked with annoyance.  
  
"It's the 15th of January!" I replied excitedly.  
  
"And?" Kari asked, blinking at me in confusion.  
  
"The Fellowship arrives in Lothlórien tonight!" I replied, scowling at her.  
  
"OH!" Kari said, her eyes lighting with comprehension. "Cool! When will they get to Caras Galadhon?"  
  
"With all the arguing and walking, they'll get here on the 17th." I said, bouncing.  
  
"Neat," Kari said, nodding wisely. "Now can I go back to my conversation?" I shot her a glare as she looked at me innocently.  
  
"Fine then! I'll go see if somebody else appreciates my knowledge." I grumped, and headed off to find Glorfindel, leaving Kari to go back to her boring conversation. I didn't quite make it to Glorfindel, though, as Galadriel spotted me and asked why I wasn't in the library. I had fallen back on my 'no disrespect to Creepy Lady' philosophy lately, so I quickly scampered off to the library.  
  
I had to wait until evening to tell Glorfindel about the Fellowship arriving, and then I decided, what was the point? They'd show up in two days. He didn't need me to tell him. So I just pushed it as far to the back of my mind as I could. Which wasn't very far. The next two days I was useless for just about everything - I was acting like a kid just before Christmas, I knew, but I couldn't help it. Lothlórien, as I've said, is a boring place, and dammit, Boromir and the hobbits, not to mention Gimli, were just what it needed to liven in up. My excitement was only made worse by the fact that, since Haldir was out meeting the Fellowship, I didn't have someone to spar with to get rid of excess energy.  
  
I was waiting outside the gates of Caras Galadhon when the Fellowship finally approached, coming around the road from the north. Haldir was leading them, and they were all looking about in awe and didn't really notice me. Well, I think Legolas did, but dismissed me just as soon as he saw me, not really knowing me. So, when they finally got close enough that even the hobbits could see me, I launched myself at Haldir and jumped onto his back.  
  
"Dad! You're back!" I cried gleefully. Haldir groaned.  
  
"Must you ruin a pleasant evening with your insistances that I was involved in your poor ancestry?" he asked, trying to pry me off him.  
  
"As long as you continue to ruin pleasant evenings by existing." I replied cheerfully, thwarting Haldir's attempts to get me off.  
  
"Asira?" Boromir asked, a distinctly creeped-out note in his voice.  
  
"Hiya 'Mir." I said absently, concentrating on making sure Haldir didn't get me off.  
  
"What are you doing?" Boromir asked after a slight pause.  
  
"Annoying the Marchwarden. What does it look like? Don't answer that." I said, realizing very well what this could look like. And those thoughts put me right off of remaining latched onto Haldir, so I jumped off and away. The Fellowship were now all looking distinctly creeped out - though I think Merry and Pippin were trying to hide laughter. Gimli, as well.  
  
"Go find someone else to annoy." Haldir said with annoyance.  
  
"Nah, I like annoying you too much." I replied cheerfully, and Haldir twitched.  
  
"Somehow, I feel insulted." he said.  
  
"That's because you don't know a good thing when you hear it." I replied in a soothing tone of voice.  
  
"It is impossible to hear anything when you are prattling on in the vicinity." Haldir retorted.  
  
"Only because you have the hearing skills of a human!" I said with a disdainful sniff.  
  
"At least I can hear more than my own voice." Haldir replied.  
  
"Yeah, you can hear your ego, as well." I said. The Fellowship was now looking slightly worried, and at this point, Glorfindel appeared. He took one look at the Fellowship, and Haldir and I glaring daggers at each other, and sighed.  
  
"Lord Celeborn said there was a disturbance," he said, "But I had really hoped it was not this."  
  
"Lord Glorfindel." Aragorn said politely, nodding to the elf-lord, and the four hobbits looked cheered at the sight of Glorfindel.  
  
"Aragorn." Glorfindel replied with another nod, then turned to Haldir and I. "Rachel, come. Haldir, you know your Lord and Ladies commands." With that, Glorfindel took my arm and pulled me away. I didn't resist, as Glorfindel seemed to be in full elf-lord mode, and I doubted I could have gotten away if I tried. So I just waved over my shoulder and yelled back a 'See ya later!' to Boromir.  
  
"I should have known they were going to arrive soon." Glorfindel said with a sigh when we finally stopped, some ways into the forest and out of earshot of anyone else. "You have been far too excited lately."  
  
"Who wouldn't be at some new people? Lothlórien is such a boring place!" I complained.  
  
"Sometimes boring is not a bad thing." Glorfindel said, arching an eyebrow down at me. I paused, sensing that this was turning into a serious discussion.  
  
"True. But with all the activity going on in Middle-Earth these days, I can't help but feel excited and hyper." I replied after a moment. "And Lothlórien is simply too secluded and tranquil for me in that state of mood."  
  
"Says the one who is constantly causing uproars and has been the most popular topic of conversation in the Golden Wood for the past month!" Glorfindel said in exasperation, throwing his hands up in the air. "Really, Rachel - can you not at least TRY to calm down? Any other Elf I know would leap at the chance to come to Lothlórien!"  
  
"I'm not any other elf, though." I replied.  
  
"And far too proud of it." Glorfindel snapped. "Everywhere you go, it seems, you have been trying purposefully to be different. You dislike the Lady Galadriel, whom all other Elves love, you trade insults with the Marchwarden of the Golden Wood without a care for propriety. You wear trousers and tunics, you argue with some of the wisest beings existing in Middle-Earth. I am afraid to even ask Lord Boromir what you got up to in Minas Tirith. I bet if you were face to eye with Sauron himself you would do something absurd like poke his eye just to be different!"  
  
Glorfindel turned away after his outburst and stood facing out into the forest, taking deep breaths, while I looked at his back in surprise and, somewhat, shock. My actions the past few months had been rather...childish, I conceded to myself. And I couldn't think of much of an excuse - I couldn't even use my fear of Mary-Sues, or the lack of it, as an excuse, as my behavior spread over the times when I was both afraid and not afraid of becoming a Mary-Sue. I bit my lip as I stared at Glorfindel's back, feeling very much like turning and running into the forest, but knowing that it would do more harm than good.  
  
But I really had no idea what to say. I'd have to come up with something, however, so with a sigh, I sat down on the ground and stared at Glorfindel's back as I thought furiously. Glorfindel stiffened somewhat when I sat down, and I think he glanced back at me briefly to be sure I was OK, but other than that, he remained still as I sat cross-legged, my head propped up by my hands, and frowning thoughtfully. And what I came up with as an answer, after probably close to twenty minutes of thinking, was (surprise surprise) the truth. Which was that I really didn't know why I'd been acting so childish.  
  
"You're probably right that I would poke his eye." I said finally. "And for the life of me, I couldn't tell you why. Nor can I tell you why I've been acting so childish these past few months. One explanation I can give is that I'm having the childhood I never got to have. I don't think I ever told you, and Kari was probably so love struck that she didn't want to take a chance at a delayed betrothal by telling Elrohir, but we were both under 30 when we came here." Glorfindel turned and looked at me in surprise, as he knew even better than I that Elves reach majority at 50 - so while we had been considered responsible adults in our world, as Elves we had been still much too young to be let out on our own.  
  
"There's also the possibility," I conceded, "That I'm simply trying to avoid thinking about all of the sorrows and tragedies that are going to happen because of this War. I don't know if you noticed, but Gandalf wasn't with the Fellowship just now - because even now he's in Moria, locked in a battle with a Balrog that will cost him his life. Oh, he'll come back, but that sort of thing, as I know you know, leaves a mark. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Victory or defeat will come at a great price for both sides, and if I think about it too much, I just get depressed." Glorfindel, while I had been talking, had come over, and was now sitting beside me, an arm around my shoulders as I stared miserably at the ground.  
  
"None of that's really an excuse, though." I said, flashing Glorfindel a sad smile.  
  
"I have not stayed around Elrond for over 3,000 years and not picked up a few things." Glorfindel said with a small smile. "It is an excuse. In fact, those two things together are probably the entire cause. Along with your naturally...different personality that comes from having grown up in an entirely different world." I eyed him for a moment. He was being far too understanding about this, considering he'd just lost his cool rather spectacularly - something I'd never seen him do before. I narrowed my eyes as I realized why that might be.  
  
"Did you just pull some healer psychology on me? You did! Buttermonkey!" I poked Glorfindel as he gave me a guilty look.  
  
"Lord Celeborn was worried about you, as well!" Glorfindel said in his defense, fending off my fingers as I tried to poke him again.  
  
"Since when is being crazy cause for worry?!" I demanded, still trying to poke Glorfindel again but not succeeding.  
  
"Since Fëanor!" Glorfindel retorted.  
  
"That's a different type of crazy!" I replied, and then let out a loud 'Ha!' as I finally managed to poke Glorfindel.  
  
"It does raise questions about all other types of craziness, however." Glorfindel muttered, pretending to sulk now that I'd poked him. I paused, considering how to respond, and then burst out laughing as I realized that I was arguing about different types of craziness with an elf-lord that was...several thousand years old, at the least. That made me stop laughing abruptly, and I looked curiously at Glorfindel, who was looking at me in amusement.  
  
"How old are you, anyways?" I asked him, and he blinked at me in surprise at the unexpected question.  
  
"Somewhere over 7000." Glorfindel replied finally. "Add some 3000 years if you want to count the ones where I was dead." I mentally did just that.  
  
"Over 10,000?" I asked in surprise, and Glorfindel nodded. I frowned lightly. "Funny, thought you were older."  
  
"Should I be insulted at that?" Glorfindel asked with amusement. I shrugged.  
  
"I have no idea." I said honestly, and Glorfindel laughed.  
  
"Well, if you do not know whether or not it was meant to be insulting, then I think I shall just take it as a compliment." he said, standing up and holding a hand out to me. "Shall we return to Caras Galadhon?"  
  
"Sure! I need to greet Boromir properly." I said, taking his hand and letting myself be pulled up.  
  
"Oh, so you are going to jump on HIM now?" Glorfindel asked with amusement. I gave him a mock scowl.  
  
"No. I'm going to tickle him. Or thwap him. Depending on whether or not he's being stupid when I find him." I said, and Glorfindel laughed as we set off for the Elvish city at a brisk pace.  
  
----To be continued...with more Boromir!----  
(And Glorfindel fun!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Well, I've decided to ATTEMPT a drawing of Rachel and Glorfindel...I'm going for realistic, so I'll be hunting down photos of a model I think looks like Rachel. I'm using Theban Band's choice for Glorfindel, Helmut Berger, so I've already got him...We'll have to see how this turns out, though. I've only recently discovered that I CAN do realistic drawings of people, and never gotten creative while doing so, so the pic might turn out so horrible I'll never let anyone else see it. But at least I'll have tried, eh?  
  
Anywho, thank you once again to each and every reviewer! I still go into shock somewhat everytime I see the number of reviews I've gotten on this FanFic...*shakes head* Truly amazing. You are all such wonderful people to waste such spare time that you have on reading my writing. *hands out little dolls of Goldolin Elves* Enjoy! (But don't let Glorfindel see them, or he might start going into post-Balrog trauma)  
  
Yeah, and as a shameless plug, the plot bunny hit me late last night, and I wrote up a one-chapter fic and posted it. It's under 'The Mary-Sue That Wasn't' - and as I say in the summary, it amusing in a morbid sort of way, so I wouldn't suggest reading it if you're one of those people who likes to see things end happily...But there it is, my shameless plug. :)  
  
Now I'm off...see you all again on friday!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	56. Meetings

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Gollum: We owns it all, prcious!  
  
Smeagol: No we doesn't!  
  
Gollum: Yes we does!  
  
Smeagol: No we doesn't!  
  
Gollum: Yes we does!  
  
Smeagol: No!  
  
Gollum: Yes!  
  
Smeagol: No!  
  
Gollum: Yes!  
  
Smeagol: No!  
  
Gollum: Yes!  
  
Smeagol: No!  
  
CS: *thwaps Smeagol/Gollum* Arg, shoulda known better than to let him do the disclaimer. Ralph?  
  
Ralph the Elvish Hairstylist: *ahem* Crimson Starlight owns nothing.  
  
CS: *nod* Indeed.  
  
Rachel: And speaking of owning things, has anyone seen my Elf-lord around?  
  
CS: Er...um...Aranel Tumuril stuffed him in a paper bag and took off with him.  
  
Rachel: *blink*  
  
CS: But look who we got in return! *points to Ralph proudly*  
  
Rachel: *bangs head against a random purple styrofoam wall*  
  
Ralph the Elvish Hairstylist: Tsk, that is messing up your hair horribly, dear...  
  
-56: Meetings-  
  
Boromir was indeed being stupid when I found him - I didn't catch what he'd said, but I caught the end of Aragorn chewing him out.  
  
"...in this land no evil, unless a man bring it hither himself. Then let him beware! But tonight I shall sleep without fear for the first time since I left Rivendell. And may I sleep deep, and forget for a while my grief! I am weary in body and in heart." Aragorn was saying, and I got the impression we would have liked to have laid down on the sleeping couch behind him and gone to sleep right there to prove his point, but he spotted Glorfindel and I and nodded an acknowledgment in our direction. Boromir barely had time to register that someone was behind him before I thwapped him upside the head - hard.  
  
"Ow!" he exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head.  
  
"Don't be stupid." I scolded. "Just because Galadriel's creepy and a party pooper doesn't mean she's evil. And anyways, Galadriel's Elrond's mother-in-law, and I told you that Aragorn is Elrond's foster son - so he's one of the last people you want to be speaking bad things about Galadriel around." Boromir sighed.  
  
"She...unnerved me is all." he said.  
  
"She does that." I quipped. "Hi and welcome to Lothlórien, by the way."  
  
"Hello and thank you." Boromir said, rolling his eyes. I turned to the rest of the Fellowship.  
  
"And hi to all you as well! Sorry for the little encounter at the gates, but Haldir is such fun to annoy." I said. Merry and Pippin grinned.  
  
"It was a nice distraction, actually." Aragorn said sadly.  
  
"From hearts overburdened with sorrow at the absence of a traveling companion?" I asked kindly, and everyone looked at me in a combination of surprise and sorrow. "What? You think I can't count? Don't be so sad, though. Glorfindel here did a little dance with a Balrog as well, and he's still around."  
  
"But Gandalf fell." Pippin put in.  
  
"Into Khazad-dûm." Gimli said sadly.  
  
"Which is bottomless - or darn near it. And Balrogs have wings. And who knows what Gandalf can do with that staff." I pointed out, and then added to counter what I'd just given away, "But perhaps I am just looking for hope wherever possible." I shrugged helplessly and gave them a sad smile.  
  
"And perhaps you need to stop talking about this subject?" Glorfindel commented pointedly, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Yep." I said with an emphatic nod. "Other than this last little part, how has your trip been so far?"  
  
"We went up Caradhas. It was cold." Pippin said, making a face.  
  
"Erg, cold. Yucky. Run into a blizzard? I ran into one on the way here. Got snowed into some ruins, and Asfaloth and Aratelpe got so hungry they tried to eat Glorfindel and my's bedrolls." I said.  
  
"At least you didn't get buried in snow." Merry said, wrinkling his nose.  
  
"Nah, I got pelted with it." I said, shooting Glorfindel an evil look. He looked back innocently.  
  
"Did you start a snowball fight, Asira?" Boromir asked suspiciously.  
  
"No, but I finished it!" I replied cheerfully. Aragorn, who had lay down on his couch/bed thingy and had been pretending to be asleep, looked up at that and arched an eyebrow at Glorfindel.  
  
"You started a snowball fight, Lord Glorfindel?" he asked, his disbelief clear in his voice.  
  
"Asfaloth made me do it." Glorfindel dead-panned. There was absolute silence for a moment, and then I whacked Glorfindel on the arm.  
  
"No he didn't. He was too busy eating your bedroll. You started it all by yourself." I mock-scolded.  
  
"And got snow down my tunic for my efforts." Glorfindel said with a mournful sigh. I snorted, and several members of the Fellowship let out little chuckles.  
  
"Anyways. We should probably leave you to sleep. You've had a busy day. I'll be by tomorrow, though!" I waved, and the hobbits and Boromir waved back. Aragorn was back to pretending to be asleep, Gimli looked wrapped up in his own thoughts - and Legolas actually WAS asleep, I realized as we headed off. I just hadn't realized it, because he'd looked just as dazed when he walked into Caras Galadhon. Probably due to Gandalf falling.  
  
At any rate, as Glorfindel and I headed off to our flets, someone in the upper flets started singing, and I paused for a moment, letting my internal Elvish translator tell me what they were saying. I had always been curious about what the Elves had sung about Gandalf when he'd fallen - Frodo had only translated a bit in the books - and now I knew. It was all about his accomplishments and what he did in life, like Glorfindel said Elvish laments were. The only clue that you really had that it was a lament was that it was so sad-sounding.  
  
"Rachel?" Glorfindel asked after a moment, looking at me curiously as I stood there listening.  
  
"Sorry." I said, flashing him a smile and starting walking again. "I just always wondered what Gandalf's lament was. There were only a few bits and pieces of it in the books and plays back home." Glorfindel nodded in understanding, and we walked in silence for awhile. I felt my mood slowly dropping, and just as Glorfindel and I reached the spot the led off to our two flets, I let out a quiet curse.  
  
"Now I'm going to be all sad, and the stupid guy's not even gone yet, and will be back, anyways, once he is gone." I said with a sulk. Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"But you shall have to continue to act as if you think he is dead." he said, waggling a finger in my direction. "So it is a good thing you are starting to feel sad. Certainly you must stop giving out little snippets of information like you did down with the Fellowship just now."  
  
"Yeah, I know." I said, making a face. "It was so hard not to give away even more, though - sad hobbits are quite possibly the worst thing someone could ever see. Though sad puppies might outdo them..." I frowned thoughtfully, and Glorfindel chuckled again.  
  
"Let us hope we never have an opportunity to find out, yes?" Glorfindel said, giving me a light kiss on the cheek, and I nodded.  
  
"And there's a good chance we won't!" I said. "Unless they have puppies in -" Glorfindel, sensing a revelation about someplace that the Fellowship was going to end up, interrupted me with a kiss.  
  
"Let us stop talking and go to bed, shall we?" he said blandly when he pulled away. I nodded.  
  
"Sounds good to me." I said with a grin. "Thinking over all this stuff would just get me worked up, anyways. Even the mental image of a sad hobbit next to a sad puppy makes me want to cry..." And so we split off to go to our separate flets for bed.  
  
Glorfindel woke me the next morning - as he had been doing a lot recently - so he could drag me down to the kitchens with him for an early breakfast. At least it was early by my standards - he informed me once that by typical Elvish standards, it was actually a rather late breakfast. Which is why I was surprised when we reached the kitchens that morning and found Kari there, apparently just starting her own breakfast.  
  
"So, be there hobbits here now?" she asked casually, not offering an explanation as to her late meal, as Glorfindel and I sat down with our breakfast.  
  
"Yep. And their sad looks are deadly, I'll warn you now - took quite a bit of willpower to stop from telling them everything." I replied. Kari chuckled.  
  
"No surprise. Hobbits are the epitome of cuteness." she said.  
  
"No, baby animals, specifically puppies, are. Hobbits are a close second, though." I corrected her.  
  
"No, hobbits are the epitome of cuteness. Baby animals are the close second." Kari insisted.  
  
"Hobbits aren't covered in soft fuzz and don't make cute little sounds. Therefore, baby animals are cuter." I retorted. "And have you ever seen a baby animal attack someone? Hobbits attack."  
  
"Orcs and evil people, which makes them brave AND cute." Kari said.  
  
"But braveness, by its very definition, takes away from cuteness." I argued.  
  
"So are you saying that, for example, since Glorfindel is brave, he is not cute?" Kari asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"No, braveness doesn't cancel out cuteness altogether, it just makes it less. And Glorfindel's more sexy than cute, at any rate." I replied.  
  
"How many times have I told you to leave me out of your pointless arguments?" Glorfindel asked with exasperation as Kari opened her mouth to reply.  
  
"41 times." Kari said, changing what she'd been going to say.  
  
"42." I corrected.  
  
"No, 41." Kari insisted.  
  
"42! He just told us again now!" I retorted.  
  
"No he did not, he just asked how many -" Kari halted mid-sentence as a grape hit her in the middle of the forehead. We both turned to find Glorfindel concentrating on his breakfast (which contained grapes) and studiously ignoring us.  
  
"I get no respect around here." Kari huffed.  
  
"Sorry, talking to someone who has no specific, official allegiance and an Elf-lord over 10 times your age." I said with a grin. "Maybe if you had your one of your parents-in-law, or grandparents-in-law, around, you might get some respect, but until then, you'll just have to put up with it."  
  
"Lovely." Kari said sourly, then immediately brightened. "Hey, want to go see the Fellowship after breakfast?"  
  
"Sure!" I said. "I've already seen them twice - and freaked them out once - but this time I can introduce you to Boromir!"  
  
"Ah, wonderful!" Kari said gleefully. "I have always wanted to creep him out..."  
  
"You'll have a hard time of it." I said with a snort. "He's been hanging around me for all his life." Kari shot me a surprised look. "Didn't you listen when I explained that I'm Boromir and Faramir's 'tutor'?" I demanded. Kari paused thoughtfully.  
  
"No." She said finally, with a grin. "I usually zone out whenever you start talking."  
  
"Don't I feel special." I said with a mock pout. So Kari and my's bantering continued, Glorfindel occasionally putting in his two cents once he'd started to get his mind in gear and get into the spirit. Eventually, however, we were forced to concede that, except for the slowly growing pile of grapes that had bounced off Kari's forehead that no one wanted to eat, we were done our breakfast.  
  
Leaving the grapes in their neat little pile on the table, Kari, Glorfindel and I left the kitchen, moving quickly so that the cooks couldn't call us back when they discovered the Grape Cairn on the table. The cooks, after the first few weeks of putting up with Kari and I, had quickly lost patience with our food shenanigans, and would make us come back and throw the grapes out. Indeed, after Kari and I had had the brilliant idea to have a mini-food-fight one morning, the cooks had almost banned us from the kitchens. Galadriel had prevailed on them not to, however, aided in her endeavor by a promise from us not to start anymore food fights.  
  
Once we were sure that no cooks were following us to make us come back and throw out our Grape Cairn (long may it stand) we made a beeline for where the Fellowship was staying. And for once, since the kitchen was one of the very few buildings in Lothlórien that rested on the ground, and the Fellowship was staying in a pavilion on the ground, I actually knew where I was going. Navigating in big places is so much easier when you only have to deal with one level.  
  
Boromir was the only one in the pavilion when we arrived, and I quickly introduced him to 'my crazy friend from monkey land' - AKA, Kari. Boromir was a little wary of her - and rightly so - but they seemed to get along fine.  
  
"So where is everyone else?" I asked curiously once the introduction was done. Boromir shrugged.  
  
"Aragorn and Legolas were gone when I awoke, and Gimli set off right after breakfast." he replied. "The Hobbits went to go find the kitchens just before you arrived. They said something about a second breakfast."  
  
"Ah! Second Breakfast!" I said with a grin. "Time to refuel for the next leg of the journey." Boromir shot me a curious look. "Hobbits normally have about 7 meals a day." I informed him.  
  
"Breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, luncheon, dinner, afternoon tea, supper." Kari counted off on her fingers at Boromir's dubious look.  
  
"Though they won't be finding their second breakfast anytime soon if they just set off for the kitchen." I commented.  
  
"Oh?" Boromir asked curiously.  
  
"We just came from the kitchens, and did not pass them on the way here." Glorfindel supplied for me, and Boromir nodded in understanding.  
  
"So were you just planning on hanging around here all day, or did you have someplace to go, as well?" I asked, changing the subject.  
  
"I was relaxing for now, but I had thought to find someplace to practice with my sword later." Boromir replied with a shrug.  
  
"Haven't you gotten enough of that lately?" I asked, making a face.  
  
"When ones life depends on their skill with a sword, it is difficult indeed to 'get enough' practice." Glorfindel said dryly, and Boromir nodded in agreement.  
  
"Lord Glorfindel speaks truly." he said, and I shook my head.  
  
"*I* certainly get enough practice for me, and I only practice every other day or so." I said, referring to my sword 'lessons' with Glorfindel, which had become a source of amusement to anyone on the practice grounds when they were occurring.  
  
"Yes, but your life does not depend on how well you can wield your sword." Kari said, then added with a grin, "In fact, it is a good thing it does not, or you would long since be dead." I stuck my tongue out at her.  
  
"You are still learning how to wield a sword?" Boromir asked me with surprise.  
  
"'Learning' is too strong a word, I think." Glorfindel said dryly, and Boromir chuckled even as Kari snickered. I put on a sulky face.  
  
"She's still unable to fight with any skill unless she's mad?" Boromir asked, ignoring my sulk. Kari nodded emphatically even as Glorfindel answered.  
  
"Indeed. If the sword is her best weapon, I dread what damage she might cause to herself and her allies with anything else." he said. There was a pause as Boromir frowned thoughtfully, and I looked at Glorfindel curiously, wondering what he meant by my 'best weapon'.  
  
"Now that I think on it, Elladan and I never truly tested her to see if the sword really WAS her best weapon." he said.  
  
"Test? What's this now?" I asked suspiciously.  
  
"When one requests to learn weaponry, usually they are given a test to see if they have an aptitude with any particular weapon, or just to determine what weapon they should be taught how to wield first." Glorfindel explained to me, and then turned back to Boromir. "But you and Elladan never tested her?"  
  
"She was bored and asked me to teach her how to wield a sword." Boromir said with a shrug. "It was not a serious thing at the time, so I did not bother to test her. When Elladan joined the training later, and it became more serious, it slipped my mind to mention testing her."  
  
"I think she needs that test now." Kari said with amusement. "Because she is definitely NOT adept at using a sword." I shot her an Evil Glare, and Glorfindel and Boromir, the little buggers, chuckled.  
  
"Indeed. Would you like to be tested, Rachel?" Glorfindel asked, turning to me. "We could do it this morning if you like. Boromir could get his practice in that way."  
  
"Sure." I said with a shrug. "I'm running out of names for sword tips, anyways." Boromir shook his head.  
  
"Are you still doing that?" he asked with amusement.  
  
"Of course!" I replied with a grin. "I also named all of Kari's arrows."  
  
"I still think some of them are female." Kari grumped.  
  
"Nonsense. Arrows are so annoying that they have to be male." I said, waving a hand through the air dismissively.  
  
"You only say that because you cannot shoot them worth a darn." Kari pointed out.  
  
"Exactly." I agreed.  
  
"Perhaps you would like to get changed before we go?" Glorfindel suggested to me, as amused as Boromir was by Kari and my's exchange.  
  
"Good idea." I said. "Be back in a jiff!" Then I dashed off. Behind me, I heard Boromir ask Kari what a 'jiff' was, and snickered as I continued on up to my flet.  
  
----To be continued...with funky weapons!----  
(And Translator!Kari!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
I had a Glorfindel-obsessed last few days it seems. It started off with Shanastay asking in a review what colour Glorfindel's eyes were...that occupied me, in between all the other stuff I had to do, for about a day, at which point I gave up, since the only description found was 'bright and keen'. (Turns out that because of his background, he could have blue, green OR grey)  
  
Then, and this is going to involve some warped CS thinking, I was looking at Thranduil FanFics, and I got a sudden idea for the meaning for a name. It involved the word 'Golden'. And as Glorfindel's name supposedly means 'Golden-haired Elf', I figured that if I ran the name through my Quenya dictionary, I'd come up with something that sounded vaguely like Glorfindel. Uh-huh. Not. I got distracted for two hours trying to find out how 'Glorfindel' translates to 'Golden-haired Elf'. I still don't know.  
  
So that is the tale of my Glorfindel-obsessed activities since my last update. *ahem* (Not including the finding of an amusing Glorfindel pic on Elfwood...*snicker* Twins! Baby!Arwen! Glorfindel babysitting!)  
  
Yep. So, thanks to all my reviewers, and my readers! You're all wonderful, lovely people! And heaven help me if I ever get you all upset at me at once...*cringes* *hands out e-cookies she baked yesterday* Enjoy! I'm off to get my Learner's Licence! (Finally)  
  
'Till Monday!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	57. Weapons REVISED

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Erestor: Well, Crimson Starlight's incapacitated due to a literally splitting headache, so she left the disclaimer for us Elves.  
  
Glorfindel: Not that we don't normally do the disclaimer without any help from her.  
  
Erestor: *cough* Indeed. But most of us usually do it clothed.  
  
Glorfindel: Yes, well, between the reviewers and Rachel, I've run out of un-damaged clothing.  
  
Erestor: You know I would gladly lend you some, as would Elrond. Or Gil-Galad. Or Legolas. Or Haldir. Or Celeborn. Or just about any other male elf.  
  
Glorfindel: Yes yes. But walking around without any clothing seems to be keeping the reviewers, at least, at bay.  
  
Haldir: *appearing* That's because they're all drowning in puddles of drool.  
  
Erestor: Well isn't THAT a pleasant image.  
  
Haldir: *grinning* Oh yes, it is.  
  
Erestor: I was being sarcastic.  
  
Haldir: And I was being sadistic.  
  
Erestor: *twitch*  
  
Glorfindel: Are we going to actually DO the disclaimer?  
  
Haldir: *cheerily* Crimson Starlight owns nothing!  
  
Rachel: *appears and tackles Glorfindel*  
  
Rachel and Glorfindel: *uhm...do I even need to say what(/who) they're doing?*  
  
Erestor and Haldir: GO GET A ROOM, FOR VALAR'S SAKE!  
  
-57: Weapons-  
  
When I returned to the Fellowship's pavilion later, this time in trousers and a tunic, only Glorfindel and Boromir were waiting for me.  
  
"Where's Kari?" I asked curiously.  
  
"She had to inform some friends that she would not be joining them this morning. She said she would meet us down at the fields to watch the show in a bit." Glorfindel said with a small grin.  
  
"Bah to her, I say!" I said with mock grumpiness. "Now let's go..." And so we went off to the practice fields. Boromir looked quite impressed by their size when we got there, and spent several minutes watching the practicing Elves while Glorfindel went about gathering up a large variety of practice weapons. When he returned, to my surprise, he brought Rúmil with him.  
  
"I thought you were out on the borders." I said, having to switch from Common - which I'd been using since meeting up with Boromir - to Elvish for Rúmil to understand.  
  
"I was, but I got hit in the head by an Orc and they sent me back." Rúmil replied grumpily. I chuckled.  
  
"Damn those commanders, always looking out for their men." I said with a grin.  
  
"It was Orophin, actually." Rúmil said, making a face, and I chuckled again. "What are you doing here, anyways?"  
  
"Being tested to see if I can use any weapon better than I can use a sword." I replied promptly.  
  
"You have not already been tested?" Rúmil asked curiously.  
  
"No, Boromir and Elladan forgot." I replied with a shrug. "I didn't start out learning the sword seriously, anyways."  
  
"Oh." Rúmil said. "Mind if I watch?"  
  
"I'm not responsible for any injuries you might get." I said with a grin, and Rúmil chuckled. At this point I noticed that Boromir, who - despite having had lessons in Sindarin practically all his life - could only understand half of what Rúmil and I were saying and was now looking to me for a translation.  
  
"He was just wondering what we were doing." I told Boromir in Common as Rúmil went and sat down against a tree on the edge of the practice ring we had claimed.  
  
"Am I in time for the big show?" Kari asked, appearing and heading in my direction.  
  
"Yep." I said with a grin, getting an idea. "And you get to play translator for Rúmil and Boromir!" Kari blinked.  
  
"Why?" she asked.  
  
"Because you know both Elvish and Common, and Boromir knows only Common with a smattering of Elvish and Rúmil knows only Elvish with a smattering of Common." I replied patiently. "Therefore, at least one of them will need a translator during the test."  
  
"Most likely Rúmil, since Boromir will be testing you." Glorfindel commented absently from where he was sorting through the practice weapons.  
  
"So there you go!" I said cheerfully, and Kari sighed.  
  
"Oh, fine then." she said, and went and sat over by Rúmil, where she explained the situation to him. Rúmil nodded, and then turned his attention back to the arena even as Glorfindel finally announced that he was ready.  
  
Glorfindel had disposed with all of the weapons that were a variation on a sword, quite logically assuming that I'd have as much luck with them as I would with a sword. After seeing my archery, he'd also disposed with any ranged weapons. That left maces, flails and most polearms. And a whip. My eyes lit up when I saw that weapon, but Kari snatched it before I could grab it.  
  
"That would just be ASKING for trouble." she informed Glorfindel. "And an interesting sex life." She had been speaking in Elvish, so Rúmil was the one who burst out laughing when Glorfindel twitched and shot a fearful look at me. I grinned.  
  
"Try the maces." Glorfindel managed to choke out, and I did so as Kari repeated what she'd said to Boromir, who wanted in on the joke. And so Glorfindel was submitted to another round of laughter - which quickly transferred its target to me as Rúmil spotted me trying to lift a mace. The damn things were heavy, and when I finally did get one off the ground, I almost broke my wrist with the way it flopped around.  
  
"No maces, then." Glorfindel said with amusement. "Try the flails." I did so, and it didn't take a weapons expert to see that this was a bad idea - just lifting it up, I whacked myself four times with the spiked ball. Good thing it was only a practice weapon and not sharp...  
  
"Polearms it is, then." Kari said with a grin.  
  
"Try the spear, first." Glorfindel said, looking amused. Remembering that Gil-Galad had wielded a spear, and what Glorfindel had said about Gil-Galad and I getting along, I also grinned as I picked up the weapon. But while I was better with it than I was with a sword, I wasn't very good with it, either.  
  
"It feels more balanced in my hands." I said with a shrug when Glorfindel asked me what I thought the difference was. He nodded thoughtfully, then reached down and tossed me a quarterstaff.  
  
"Try this." he said, then showed me a few grips and let Boromir test me further. I was better with a quarterstaff, but I kept my hands together too much, and couldn't work up momentum for any really powerful blows.  
  
"You could learn to wield it, with time, I think." Glorfindel said dubiously. "But you would never be able to do much damage. You do not have the weight to put behind it, nor the speed to compensate for that lack of strength. Though your size might help."  
  
"Hey, I can be fast when I want to." I said defensively. Glorfindel simply nodded distractedly, too deep into Weapons Teacher Mode to care about the inadvertent insult, then tossed me a glaive and told me to try it, using the same grips as I had with the spear and the quarterstaff. So we continued on down through the polearms, until nothing was left; I could use them all fairly well, just about as well as I could a sword, but I rarely hit with the bladed part of my weapon, if it had one, and thus couldn't do much damage.  
  
"Perhaps a different type of sword?" Boromir suggested dubiously.  
  
"Before you subject us to that disaster," Rúmil said once Kari had translated what Boromir suggested, "Wait for a moment and let me go get something?" Glorfindel nodded, and Rúmil dashed off in the direction of the main parts of Caras Galadhon. He was gone only a short time, and when he returned, he was carrying what looked like a typical curved-blade Elvish sword - only with a really long hilt, and shaped oddly, almost like a tilda (~) from a computer keyboard - only softer on the curves. No, I realized as Rúmil got closer, that wasn't an extra long hilt - that was another blade, only sheathed. It was a two-bladed sword. I looked up at him in surprise.  
  
"I thought you were dubious about her skills with a sword?" Glorfindel asked with a frown, also realizing what the weapon was.  
  
"Normal swords, yes, but this a special type, and more like a polearm in balance than a sword. Or so I have been told." Rúmil said with a shrug. "The way she was handling the polearms made me think that this might suit her." He held the weapon out to me, and I glanced over at Glorfindel. He hesitated, then nodded, and I took the double-bladed sword, careful to grab the hilt and not one of the blades. Rúmil stepped back, and Glorfindel came to instruct me on how to hold it. He stopped when he saw how I was holding it already, however.  
  
"Perhaps you are right, Rúmil." he said with amusement, and then glanced up at me. "Just keep your grip the way it is." I looked at him in surprise, and then grinned. This was promising.  
  
I swung the sword one or two times without anyone in the arena, getting a feel for it, then removed the sheaths and settled into a typical sword-fighting stance to wait for Boromir to attack. He did so carefully, mindful of the fact that the weapon I now had was, unlike the practice weapons I'd been using all morning, very sharp. It soon became apparent, however, that I had a feel for the double-bladed sword. Rúmil was right - it was more like a polearm in balance than a sword, and the fact that it was more blade than pole meant that I could deal damage without a whole lot of strength.  
  
"Well, I think we have found your aptitude." Glorfindel said dryly when he called a halt to Boromir's and my spar.  
  
"I knew it." Rúmil said with a smirk. "It fits the Valar's senses of humour perfectly." I arched an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Oh? Why is that?" I asked, and Rúmil's smirk turned into an evil grin.  
  
"Because," he drawled, "The only living master of the double-bladed sword this side of Valinor is my brother, the Marchwarden. That is actually his blade that you are holding." I stared at Rúmil for a moment, then down at the double-bladed sword still in my hands, and burst out laughing.  
  
"Quite right, that does fit the Valar's senses of humour." I said with a snigger when I calmed down.  
  
"Yes, but this does raise a problem." Glorfindel said with a small frown. "I did not get a double-bladed practice sword because their WERE none. And since Rúmil here went and got Haldir's sword for you to spar with, I would wager a guess that there is none." Rúmil nodded.  
  
"Haldir shattered one of the blades of the last double-bladed practice sword several centuries ago. As no one but him uses double-bladed swords, and he has three different ones of his own, the smiths saw no point in either repairing the practice sword or making a new one." he said.  
  
"So in order to practice, Rachel shall have to borrow one of Haldir's swords." Glorfindel said with a sigh, and I frowned lightly.  
  
"The smiths would only take a few weeks to make one." Rúmil offered helpfully.  
  
"But that would delay my practicing." I pointed out. "And anyways, if I'm in the same place as the only living master in the weapon I want to learn that is on this side of Valinor, I am not going to let such a petty thing as not being able to get along with him get in my way." All three males looked at me in surprise, and Kari looked amused.  
  
"Have you not figured out by now that Rachel is determined, if nothing else?" she said, repeating what she said in both Common and Elvish so both Rúmil and Boromir would understand. Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"She is that." he said, giving me a fond look, and I grinned back at him in a rather stupid manner, my dark blue eyes locked on his light blue ones, and I'm sure if my brain had been working, the phrase 'drowning in his eyes' would have come to mind.  
  
Of course, the moment had to be ruined as Haldir walked up.  
  
"Rúmil, have you seen -" Haldir stopped short as he saw what I was holding. There was absolute silence for a moment. "Why are you holding my sword?" Haldir asked me finally, his voice dangerously low.  
  
"Because I'm useless at every other weapon, and Rúmil thought I might have an aptitude for a double-bladed sword." I replied calmly, taking the sheaths for the weapon from Kari and carefully putting them back on. "Which it turns out I do." I said the last part as I handed Haldir his sword, which he promptly took the sheaths off of and inspected carefully. Satisfied that his weapon was OK, he sheathed it again and looked up at me suspiciously.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked.  
  
"I mean that the Valar have a sense of humour and irony." I replied, arching an eyebrow. "Because out of all the weapons I've tried to day - and believe me I've tried a lot - I am, by far, better with a double-bladed sword than anything else." Haldir looked at me for a moment, frowning thoughtfully, and then glanced towards Glorfindel, who nodded in confirmation. Haldir shook his head and smiled ruefully.  
  
"A sense of humour and irony indeed." he said. "I suppose you wish me to teach you, and let you use my swords?"  
  
"Well, the sword part, yes, the teaching - I'm sure Glorfindel could show me the basics, at least." I said, shooting a glance in Glorfindel's direction. He nodded slightly. "After that, we'll see. I've been informed you're the only living master of the weapon this side of Valinor, but I'm not sure even THAT will be enough for me to not get snarky if you start telling me what to do." Haldir smirked for a moment, and then turned thoughtful.  
  
"Pleeeeeease, Haldir?" I asked, doing my best imitation of puppy-dog pleading eyes. Haldir looked at me in amusement.  
  
"Only so long as you stop calling me 'Dad'." he said finally.  
  
"Aw." I said, pouting slightly.  
  
"And 'Hal' is not an acceptable substitute." he added firmly.  
  
"You're no fun." I said with a scowl. "But fine."  
  
"Very well then." he said with a smile. "You may use my swords - but I reserve the right to take away that privilege, and you will get the smiths to make you your own as soon as possible, and if any damage comes to my weapons..." Haldir let the threat dangle.  
  
"Not going to happen." I said with a grin, and then impulsively hugged Haldir, sword and all. He looked surprised when I stepped away. "You can be cool sometimes, buttermonkey." Haldir scowled, and I grinned again as those watching tried to stifle chuckles.   
  
----To be continued...with Nancy!----  
(And an apparently much-anticipated talk with Boromir!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
This chapter is the result of a morning of utter boredom way back in January, on the weekend inbetween the posting of chapters 41 and 42. It started with me getting bored and doodling sword hilt designs in my sketchbook, and grew when I decided to make a sword for Rachel. The resulting sword sparked my imagination, and as I walked to school on the next Monday, this chapter popped into my head. I was early for class, so I started writing the chapter out long-hand - something I had never done before for a chapter of this fic - and when I got home, I continued writing, only stopping to go looking for names and pictures of medieval weapons. And so this chapter was written before I even posted chapter 42. In fact, it was the reason I was a little late posting chapter 42...So now you know how I could 'write' a chapter with a splitting headache. *wince*  
  
Anyways, Gaeruil, Senda Kenobi and jenelin get a random 'best reviewers' award for explaining the origin of Glorfindel's name! *presents award, which happens to be Glorfindel wrapped in ribbon with a sparklie bow on his head* Do with him what you will...but remember to share and return him in time for the next chapter!  
  
As to all my other reviewers, you get the usual thank-yous, piles of appreciation, and, for the heck of it, random shiny stones that I picked up at Mount Doom after the Ring got destroyed and everything cooled down. Some of them might have flecks of gold from the Ring in them!  
  
Yep, off to do schoolwork now...see ya thursday!  
~Crimson Starlight  
  
-Revision's Author's Note:-  
Yeah, someone pointed out that Boromir should know some Elvish, since he is a Lord of Gondor and Gondor was once allied with the Elves, despite the fact that he does have Elvish blood in him through being the son of Imrahil's sister Finduilas. This was, of course, pointed out right after I posted this chapter, but I just got around to changing it now...yes, I am very very lazy sometimes!  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	58. Fellowship

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own nothing. Though I really really wish I owned some spare time...I swear, there's got to be some around SOMEWHERE that I can call my own and use as I will...  
  
Rachel: Actually, I think you scared it all away.  
  
CS: Drat. Hmm...maybe Gil-Galad has some that I could steal...  
  
Rachel: ...You're going to try and steal spare time from the High King of the Noldor Elves?  
  
CS: *shrug* Sure, why not. If nothing else, he'll injure me so badly that they'll have to send me to the hospital and then I'll have OODLES of spare time.  
  
Rachel: Dang, you are desperate...  
  
-58: Fellowship-  
  
Haldir didn't stay long after agreeing to let me use his swords - I think he was afraid he'd regret his decision. And once he disappeared, those of us remaining realized that it was time for lunch and wandered back to the Fellowship's pavilion, hoping to find some food there. Glorfindel spent the trip talking in a low voice with Boromir about something - which I suspected was me - so Rúmil stayed back with Kari and me and put up with our insanity. Though he could be pretty darn insane when he wanted to be.  
  
There was indeed food in the pavilion when we got there - food quickly being consumed by four hobbits and a dwarf. There was little doubt that there would not be enough for another five by the time they were done, so Rúmil offered to go tell the cooks to send more food, and we all readily agreed. We were somewhat surprised when he didn't return with the food - it was brought back by one of the kitchen pages - but then Kari pointed out that as he was the only one in our little gathering that didn't speak Common, it was probably a good thing he left. In fact, it was probably the reason he left. So we decided we'd have to make it up to him later by teaching him Common, and then left it at that as we enjoyed our lunch.  
  
"You and Glorfindel seem to be on friendly terms." Boromir commented to me as lunch began winding down. The rest of those in the pavilion were busy having an emphatic conversation about something or another, so Boromir and I were able to talk to each other will relative privacy.  
  
"Mmm." I replied, looking at Glorfindel and purposely letting myself go a little dreamy.  
  
"Or perhaps more than friendly." Boromir said, though he sounded as if he didn't believe it.  
  
"Definitely more than friendly." I agreed amiably, flashing Glorfindel a smile as he turned to look at me, apparently sensing my gaze, then returning my attention to Boromir. He was looking at me in amazement.  
  
"In all the years I have known you, I have yet to see you interested in any man. Yet less than a year with the Elves, and you are acting like a starry-eyed maiden." Boromir said, shaking his head slightly.  
  
"Who says it's an act?" I asked with a mischievous grin, quirking one eyebrow upwards. "And at any rate, when a maiden has seen Elf-lords, and knows they are within her grasp to snag as her own, it is very difficult indeed to settle for a dirty, smelly ol' man." I ducked, laughing, as Boromir threw a handful of leaves at me for the insult to his race.  
  
"Since I am not in the position to argue that point, I suppose I shall have to let it lie." Boromir said. I smiled.  
  
"Smart man." I said, and Boromir chuckled.  
  
"I am not so inexperienced with women as to argue with one about their tastes in companions." he said. "Leastaways, though I have never done so myself, I have heard tales from Uncle Imrahil about the dangers of doing so."  
  
"I'm sure." I said with a smirk, and then scowled faintly at Boromir. "Not like you should have any complaints about my choice in companions." Boromir eyed me for a moment.  
  
"I am merely concerned for your welfare." he said.  
  
"So Imrahil said to Finduilas." I said with a smile. "So all brothers say to their sisters. And their worries usually end up being for naught, in the end."  
  
"Usually." Boromir agreed. "But there are those rare few times when their worries are well founded, and those times keep the worry alive."  
  
"Indeed." I said. There was a pause. "I suggest you leave off on the brotherly threatening, though. Even at your scariest, I doubt you could compare to a Balrog or the Halls of Mandos."  
  
"Ah, but a Balrog and the Halls of Mandos threaten only death." Boromir said, an evil glint in his eyes as he smiled slowly.  
  
"I WILL hit you with your own shield." I warned.  
  
"And I will castrate him if he hurts you." Boromir replied blandly. I sighed and shook my head, preparing to do some major dissuading, but suddenly Pippin appeared.  
  
"What's black and white and black and white and black and white and red?" he asked me, clearly confused. I glanced over at the others, where Kari was smirking while the others were apparently thinking hard.  
  
"Is Kari telling you riddles?" I asked, and Pippin nodded.  
  
"Only Frodo can get any, though." he said.  
  
"And so you had the bright idea to ask me?" I asked with amusement, and Pippin nodded again. "Never let anyone call you a fool of a Took. The answer is a sunburnt zebra."  
  
"What's a zebra?" Boromir and Pippin asked at the same time. They looked at each other and blinked in surprised. I chuckled.  
  
"A horse with black and white stripes, basically." I said. Pippin nodded, then went back to the group and announced the answer. Kari sent me a murderous looked, and I looked back innocently.  
  
"Perhaps we should try some of those older riddles on her?" Boromir suggested, referring to the riddles he, Faramir and I had found in an old book in the Minas Tirith library one day when we were bored.  
  
"Let's." I said with a grin. Only after we had stumped Kari three times out of five did I realize that Boromir had successfully distracted me from the conversation about Glorfindel, and by then I was not in a position to drag him off for a conversation again. When the riddle competition slowly started to die down, I fully intended to drag Boromir off, anyways, but then Haldir appeared, holding a double-bladed sword that was smaller than the other one I had used, and said that I could use it until I had my own sword made.  
  
"If you damage it, however..." he repeated threateningly, and I grinned.  
  
"I'll get the smiths to patch it up better than new before giving it back." I said. Haldir shot me a withering look, and I looked back innocently before he gave a disdainful glance in Gimli's direction and disappeared.  
  
"Buttermonkey." I said, making a face in the direction he went. "If I didn't need his swords..." Those in the pavilion chuckled.  
  
"Perhaps we should see about getting it so you do not need his swords, then?" Glorfindel suggested.  
  
"Sounds like a wonderful idea. The sooner I get my own sword, the sooner I can steal Boromir's shield and whack Haldir with it without fear of repercussions." I said, standing.  
  
"You are NOT whacking the Marchwarden of Lothlórien with my shield." Boromir said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Not at the moment, no." I agreed cheerily. Boromir eyed me, but knew better than to argue.  
  
"Can we come with you to the smithy?" Pippin asked at that point, his 'we' obviously referring to him and Merry. Frodo and Sam were absorbed in a conversation off to one side.  
  
"I don't see why not." I said with a shrug. Boromir and Gimli glanced at each other.  
  
"I would like to see an Elven forge." Gimli said.  
  
"I am curious, as well." Boromir said.  
  
"I have already seen one and do not particularly want to go back, so I shall leave you to it." Kari said, making a face.  
  
"Aw." I said, pouting slightly.  
  
"It is hot, loud, and smelly." Kari said stubbornly.  
  
"Ooo, heat!" I said, perking up. Kari rolled her eyes, and Boromir and Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"I am sure you and Gimli will feel right at home." Kari said, then said goodbye and departed for...who knows where. Probably some of her boring lady friends.  
  
"Dang." I muttered as I watched her go. "Now I'm stuck with five males. Wonderful." Boromir retaliated to that statement by poking me in the side, and I yelped before dashing off in the direction of the smithy - which was another one of those buildings on the ground of Caras Galadhon, and therefore one I could find without too much trouble. The males followed me, some slower than others, until we reached our destination. We stood outside for a moment, regaining our breath and joking amongst ourselves, and then I went inside, Glorfindel and the rest close behind.  
  
One of the smiths looked up as we entered and arched an eyebrow at the crowd. Then he put whatever he was working on - it looked like a dagger of some sort - in the forge, and then walked over.  
  
"What can I do for you?" he asked in Elvish. The four members of the Fellowship that we had with us were too absorbed in looking around the forge to ask for a translation, even if it hadn't have been obvious what he was asking.  
  
"I need a double-bladed sword." I replied, holding up Haldir's borrowed sword as an example. The smith's eyebrows shot upwards.  
  
"For you, or for someone else?" he asked.  
  
"Me." I replied with a grin. The smith looked at me for a moment, then down at the sword, then back up at me. I could practically hear the thoughts going through his head - there wasn't an elf in Lothlórien by now that didn't know how well Haldir and I got along.  
  
"The Valar have a strong sense of humour." Glorfindel said dryly, apparently also seeing where the smith's thoughts were going. The smith chuckled.  
  
"Apparently." he said. "Do you have a preference for design?" I shook my head.  
  
"Make it pretty." I said with a grin. "And sparklie." The smith grinned back and nodded. Any further discussion about the sword was interrupted as an argument erupted between Gimli and one of the other smiths. I went over to sooth things over, leaving Glorfindel to talk to the other smith about a price.  
  
The conflict was quickly resolved; as soon as Gimli and the Elven smith's professional respect for each other was awakened, they suddenly had endless amounts of patience and understanding for each other. I returned to Glorfindel and the first smith, leaving Gimli and the other smith engrossed in a discussion about the tempering of metals or some such things. Glorfindel had apparently concluded the business with the smith about my sword, including a price - though Glorfindel would not tell me what it was.  
  
"Consider it a thank-you gift." he said amiably, draping an arm over my shoulders.  
  
"For what?" I asked him suspiciously.  
  
"Me no longer having to attempt to drive normal swordwork into your head when it is painfully obvious that you have no skill with it." he replied with a grin. I made to whack him, but found that his arm, so casually draped around my shoulders, had slid down a bit and tightened, and I now couldn't move my arms. I glared up at him, and he looked back innocently. The smith shook his head, and then glanced over at Merry, Pippin and Boromir where they were looking at a collection of weapons in varying degrees of completion.  
  
"Do any of your companions want something?" he asked. I pulled my attention away from Glorfindel and shrugged.  
  
"Ask 'em." I said. The smith arched an eyebrow at me.  
  
"I am afraid I do not speak Common." he said.  
  
"Ah." I said, and then called over to the three in Common, "Yo, any of you three want anything?" The hobbits looked at each other, and then both shook their heads. Boromir looked around thoughtfully, and then shook his head as well.  
  
"I fear we shall not be here long enough for anything I would wish of Elven smiths to be completed." he said, flashing me a grin. I chuckled.  
  
"Yeah, I think a suit of Elven plate armor would take a little too long." I said, remembering the conversation from awhile ago that Faramir, Boromir and I had had about what we would get from the Elves if we could have anything. Faramir had wanted a book with histories men had long since forgotten, Boromir had wanted a full set of Elven-made plate armor, and I'd simply said something pretty. I turned my attention back to the Elven smith who was waiting patiently, though I was sure he already knew the three's answers.  
  
"No, they don't want anything." I said with a lop-sided grin. The Elven smith nodded, then politely excused himself and disappeared into what appeared to be a storage room at the back of the smithy. I turned to the hobbits and Boromir.  
  
"Shall we go?" I suggested.  
  
"If you can pry Gimli away from his new friend." Boromir said, nodding his head in the dwarf's direction.  
  
"Gimli!" I called. The dwarf looked up. "Think you can find your way back to the pavilion?" he nodded. "See ya later, then!" he nodded again, and then went back to his conversation. I looked back at the other four to find myself greeted with looks of amusement. "What?" I asked blankly. "He's perfectly happy where he is. Why drag him away?"  
  
"But do you think it - er - wise to leave a dwarf in the company of Elves?" Boromir asked, cocking his head to one side.  
  
"Oh, he won't do anything too horrible." I said dismissively.  
  
"I was more concerned about the Elves." Boromir muttered, almost inaudibly.  
  
"The worst they could do is dump him in a river, and believe me, with the exulted personages that river has had in it recently, that wouldn't be all that bad of a thing." I replied amiably. Boromir looked over at me in surprise, apparently not having expected me to hear. "Elven hearing, 'member?" I reminded him, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"I fear I shall never get used to that." he said.  
  
"Perhaps." I said levelly, holding back the swarm of emotions that came with the remembrance of Boromir's impending death. "Now, shall we go?" The company agreed that indeed we should, and so we set off. We arrived back at the pavilion to find Aragorn now sitting there, smoking a pipe and looking thoughtful. Merry and Pippin went off to join Sam and Frodo, who were still talking to one side, so it was just Boromir, Glorfindel and I left to approach Aragorn.  
  
"Hiya Mr. Aragorn Sir!" I greeted him cheerfully, and he arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Aragorn will do." he said.  
  
"So will Gorny." I replied innocently. Aragorn twitched.  
  
"Just accept what she gives you, Aragorn." Glorfindel said dryly. "Otherwise you shall get worse."  
  
"Yeah, Da - Haldir learned that the hard way." I said, and Boromir chuckled slightly over my almost-slip.  
  
"Out of curiosity, why WERE you calling the Marchwarden 'Dad', anyways?" Boromir asked.  
  
"He was claiming I had dwarven blood in me because of my height, so I decided that if there was, he put it there." I replied with a shrug. Boromir shook his head.  
  
"You have changed much since we left Minas Tirith, Asira." he said. "Even your name is different."  
  
"I haven't changed much at all, Boromir." I said with a smile. "I've just started acting like my true self. Which is, by the way, terminally insane."  
  
"And well on the way to driving everyone else near it into the same state of mind." Glorfindel said innocently, and I scowled at him for a moment.  
  
"Speaking of changing much..." Aragorn said, arching an eyebrow at Glorfindel.  
  
"Her fault." Glorfindel said, pointing at me.  
  
"Hey now, don't blame it all on me!" I said defensively. "You threw Celeborn in the river all by yourself!"  
  
"And who was the one who told me what Kari had said, thereby starting the whole situation?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"And who was the one who acted like a boring old elf lord around Kari, thereby prompting her comments and the subsequent translation?" I asked in reply.  
  
"And who was -"  
  
"You threw Celeborn in the river?" Aragorn interrupted, that particular part apparently having just sunk in.  
  
"Kari suggested it." Glorfindel said with a shrug. Aragorn looked at Glorfindel in amazement.  
  
"And what did Galadriel do?" he asked.  
  
"Chased us around Caras Galadhon for a few days, then got the full story out of Haldir and made Glorfindel go on patrols and Kari run errands." I replied for Glorfindel.  
  
"Haldir was involved?" Aragorn asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Of course. He's involved in anything funny around here - usually because he's being made fun OF, but we won't get into that." I said innocently. Aragorn shook his head in amusement.  
  
"Rachel!" Kari's voice came from behind me, and I had just enough time to whirl and brace myself before she catapulted into me.  
  
"Oof!" I exclaimed.  
  
"And more personality changes." Aragorn commented from behind me.  
  
"Well, as Glorfindel said, I AM driving everyone near me closer to my form of insanity." I said over my shoulder.  
  
"Look who I found." Kari said cheerily, pulling my attention back to her, and stepped away to show Legolas behind her.  
  
"Hey, it's Nancy!" I said, my eyes lighting up. Silence came from around me, and then Kari couldn't hold it in any more and burst out in laughter.  
  
"I forgot...you called...him...that!" she gasped out as she laughed. Legolas - and the rest of the Fellowship present - was giving her and me a curious look.  
  
"Why is a nickname of 'Nancy' so amusing?" Glorfindel asked, arching an eyebrow. I eyed Legolas, wondering if I should say in his presence. I decided not to.  
  
"It's a convoluted tale that would probably result in me becoming a target for certain Mirkwood Prince's archery practice." I said.  
  
"Actually, he might find it amusing." Kari said with a giggle. "He has a surprisingly good sense of humour."  
  
"See, the 'might' in there is what worries me." I told Kari. She shrugged.  
  
"Very well then. Though I very much doubt he could get past Glorfindel, anyways." she said.  
  
"Me too, but I seem to recall that getting on the bad side of Mirkwood royalty is not the wisest of ideas." I said dryly.  
  
"Indeed." Legolas said, smirking, and the four hobbits, who had apparently stopped their own conversation to listen to us Big Folk, chuckled slightly, obviously recalling Bilbo's stories of his trip with the dwarves.  
  
"And anyways, as I said, it's difficult to explain." I said, waving my hand through the air to dismiss the topic. Everyone seemed to take the hint, and then Legolas asked Boromir about the rumors he'd been hearing of him being on the practice fields that morning, and soon we were off and running on the topic of weaponry, which everyone except the hobbits was more than happy to discuss. The hobbits just kind of listened for a while, and then wandered off to find afternoon tea.  
  
----To be continued...with the thwarting of the nefarious plans of Haldir's beloved brothers!----  
(Aided by mushroom-bribable hobbits!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Well, for some reason, review alert stopped working for me, so I'll probably be less likely to respond to reviews until it starts working again. But on that note, someone out there asked for a look at the sword hilt I made? Well, I'll post a link to it in a few chapters - I have so stuff I want to do to it on the computer, first, and I also want to post it in the same chapter that Rachel actually GETS the sword. So it shouldn't be too long. (Read: next wednesday)  
  
Anyways. Thanks to each and every one of my reviewers, even if it's now a pain (at least to lazy ol' me) to read your reviews, they are all appreciated.  
  
See y'all again on Sunday!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	59. Randomness

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own nothing, savvy? *swaggers around doing her best imitation of Cap'n Jack Sparrow*  
  
Gil-Galad: You look like an idiot.  
  
CS: Ah! How dare you insult Cap'n Jack! *glares*  
  
Gil-Galad: *looks insulted himself* I did not insult Captain Sparrow! I insulted you!  
  
CS: *relaxes* Oh, alright then. *goes back to imitating Cap'n Jack*  
  
Gil-Galad: *pauses, blinks*  
  
Glorfindel: Don't even try and figure it out. It will give you a headache for a millenia or so.  
  
Rachel: Or it could result in you breaking your brain. Either/or. *shrugs*  
  
Gil-Galad: ...riiiiight.  
  
(CS: Tiredness makes for not-really-funny disclaimers. Sorry.)  
  
-59: Randomness-  
  
The next day saw Kari and me - well, mostly Kari - giving the hobbits a tour of Caras Galadhon. I was mostly along to make wise cracks and bug Kari and make her forget where she was going to take the hobbits next, but hey. We had intended to bring the other members of the Fellowship that didn't know their way around Caras Galadhon - Boromir and Gimli - as well, but Gimli had scarpered off early to the smithy, and Boromir had disappeared to the practice fields to spar with Aragorn. Glorfindel and Legolas had gone to the archery fields for that competition Glorfindel had promised the Lothlórien archers several weeks ago. I would probably be going with Glorfindel to the practice fields, myself, later, so I could work on my skills with a double-bladed sword, but for now, I was annoying Kari as she tried to show the hobbits around Caras Galadhon.  
  
That was abruptly stopped, of course, when Rúmil and Orophin suddenly appeared in front of us, smiling innocently. Orophin had, apparently and unfortunately, returned from the border.  
  
"I am afraid we shall have to steal Lady Asira from you, Alkarisil." Orophin said sweetly.  
  
"No! No dancing lessons!" I exclaimed, and hid behind Kari. She looked down at me in amusement. The dancing lessons had started shortly after the Yuletide Feast, and I tried to avoid them whenever I could - I hadn't learned formal dancing before now because I hadn't WANTED to. Rúmil and Orophin, however, either didn't realize this or didn't care. I suspected the latter.  
  
"Yes. You have escaped them for the past two days." Rúmil said firmly. "Now are you going to come quietly, or do we have to carry you?"  
  
"Neither. I'm not coming." I said, peaking out from behind Kari.  
  
"What's going on?" Pippin asked from behind me. I turned to look at the hobbits, and found them all looking at us Elves curiously.  
  
"They're trying to make me do the most horribly hellish thing -"  
  
"They are trying to teach her dancing." Kari interrupted me. "But she does not want to go."  
  
"Well they should leave her alone, then." Merry said, frowning disapprovingly at the Elves. Rúmil and Orophin didn't really need a translation of that, but I gave them one anyways.  
  
"Ah, we would, but this is a matter of utmost importance." Orophin said gravely, and then he and Rúmil darted around and each grabbed an arm. Kari stepped out of the way with a smirk. Damn her.  
  
"Let us go, shall we?" Rúmil said cheerfully. I glanced back at the hobbits.  
  
"I will help you sneak large amounts of mushrooms from the kitchens if you get me out of this." I said. The four hobbits looked at each other as Rúmil and Orophin started pulling me off in the direction of the empty flet they'd been using as a place to practice. Fortunately, they didn't get very far, as they abruptly found themselves with two hobbits each attached to their backs and legs. The poor Elves, suddenly unbalanced and unable to move their legs to compensate, fell over onto their lovely little backsides, the hobbits getting out of the way just in time to stop from being squished.  
  
"Wonderful!" I said gleefully, and then turned and ran. The hobbits took one look at the shocked faces of Rúmil and Orophin, which were slowly gaining a dangerous tint, and took off after me. I heard Kari sigh behind me.  
  
"Where're we going?" Pippin asked as we ran along.  
  
"Practice fields!" I replied shortly. I was running slow enough for the hobbits to keep up, and I wondered if I would be able to make it to the fields before Rúmil and Orophin caught me.  
  
"Why?" Frodo asked curiously.  
  
"Glory and 'Mir." I answered as I pelted down the last few steps to the forest floor. We dashed by a group of startled Elves, heading for the practice fields, and I absently wondered what Galadriel would have to say about this mad dash. At that point, however, Rúmil and Orophin abruptly appeared in front of me, and the hobbits and I had to do a quick swerve. Rúmil and Orophin, apparently, had expected us to just stop, not continue running, and their moments hesitation gave me enough of a lead to reach the practice fields.  
  
A quick glance around showed Glorfindel no where to be seen, but Boromir and Aragorn were sparring only a few feet away. I dashed over and hid behind Boromir, ignoring the fact that he was currently engaged in a rather fierce battle with the Ranger. The battle abruptly stopped, however, when I dashed behind Boromir. The hobbits, I noticed vaguely, simply stood on the opposite side of the ring from Rúmil and Orophin and considered that safe enough.  
  
"Save me!" I pleaded, eyeing the newly arrived Rúmil and Orophin warily from my place behind Boromir.  
  
"From what?" Boromir asked in confusion.  
  
"Dancing lessons!" I replied emphatically. Boromir looked at me for a moment, then started laughing, and I scowled at him. Rúmil and Orophin smirked, and started advancing on me. Boromir, however, calmed himself before they could reach me and stood facing them, frowning forbiddingly. Rúmil and Orophin stopped and looked at each other. Then, as one, they shrugged.  
  
"Very well." Rúmil said. "You have escaped for now." And with that, they turned and left.  
  
"You are the most wonderful Son of a Steward EVER!" I exclaimed gleefully, giving Boromir a hug, then turned to the hobbits. "And there have never been, and never will be again, any hobbits like you four." Merry and Pippin beamed proudly, while Frodo just smiled faintly, and Sam looked embarrassed. "Mushrooms now or later?"  
  
"Later will be fine." Merry said with a shrug. "It's not quite time for luncheon yet."  
  
"Did you bribe the hobbits?" Aragorn asked me with a frown.  
  
"Of course." I told him with a smile. Aragorn shook his head wryly, and then turned to face Boromir with a 'shall we?' expression on his face. Boromir shooed me out of the practice ring, and then they resumed their interrupted spar. I looked at the hobbits, and the hobbits looked back up.  
  
"Well, now where?" Sam asked after a moment.  
  
"Maybe we should find Kari again?" Merry suggested.  
  
"She most likely took the chance to get away from me while she could." I said with an amused smile.  
  
"How about the archery fields?" Frodo piped up. "Lord Glorfindel and Legolas were talking about a competition there."  
  
"Ah, wonderful idea, Mr. Baggins!" I said, and we set off for the archery fields, which actually weren't all that far away. To my surprise, when we got there, the archery competition was still going - though Glorfindel, Legolas, and two other Lothlórien archers were the only ones left in it. Apparently they were going to just keep going until one by one, each of the archers missed the center of the target - something that could take quite a long time. It had already taken most of the morning, anyways, but the field was still fairly crowded with watchers.  
  
The hobbits and I made our way to the front of the crowd and sat down, watching, for a short while, but eventually the hobbits stomachs started demanding more food, and so we set off, leaving the four archers to continue hitting bullseyes. In the kitchen, the cooks supplied us with food, and then when they weren't looking, I grabbed an extra basket full of mushrooms - I was actually surprised by how many mushrooms the kitchens of Caras Galadhon seemed to keep in stock - and the hobbits and I scampered off back to the Fellowship's pavilion.  
  
Boromir, Aragorn and Gimli showed up just as we were finishing, and we told them they had to go get their own food, and then set off for the river, where the hobbits decided it was time for a rock skipping competition. I quickly lost, as did Sam, and so we practiced our pitiful rock-throwing skills together while Frodo, Merry and Pippin went at it. Glorfindel found us there later - he had apparently finished third in the archery competition, with Legolas and some Lothlórien Elf named Carnildo still going at it at the archery fields - and informed me it was time to practice with my sword. The hobbits, curious about what a double-bladed sword was, finished their rock-skipping competition - all three of them seemed to be equally good - and followed us to the practice fields, where they watched me practice for awhile, then left to go get some more food.  
  
Once my lesson was done, Glorfindel and I took advantage of, for once, being rid of our friends, and disappeared up to his flet, with a small stop by the kitchens (where only Glorfindel went in, as I didn't want to find out if the cooks had noticed the missing mushrooms). We had supper, and then spent a nice evening together.  
  
So life went on in Caras Galadhon, with my days being filled with mischief and fun, interspersed between practicing with Glorfindel and the occasional dancing lesson that Rúmil and Orophin managed to drag me to. I was often seen around the Elven city with at least one hobbit in tow (usually a duo of them, actually) and often Boromir, Kari or Glorfindel, or any combination thereof, as well.  
  
Somehow, every day, Glorfindel and I managed to get away from everybody else for a little bit, which was a relief, because even though I disliked the boring stillness of Lothlórien, I didn't like to have activity ALL the time - at least not of the friendly talking-and-exploring-Lothlórien kind. Though other sorts of activity with my Elf-lord seemed to significantly decrease a week after the Fellowship's arrival - and the wary looks Glorfindel shot Boromir every once and awhile explained why.  
  
The first time I saw one of those wary looks, I immediately turned and headed over to Boromir's things (we were in the Fellowships pavilion). As I had been in the middle of saying something, this caused both Glorfindel and Boromir to turn their full attention to me. They watched curiously as I ruffled through Boromir's things, and then Boromir's eyes widened in fear as I produced his shield - which had quite obviously been hidden - with a triumphant 'aha!'  
  
Smart man that he is, Boromir didn't even try to plead with me as I turned back to him and Glorfindel with an evil look - Boromir just took off running. I followed. It was not very long before a loud 'thwack' and a yelp resounded throughout the trees.  
  
Boromir did not sit down for the rest of the day.  
  
----To be continued...with angst!----  
(Whoa, we're actually going to dip into one of the main genres of this fic...SHOCKER!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Right, quite a lot of people have been asking where I got the nickname of 'Nancy' for Legolas, so I figured I'd just explain it here instead of writing half a dozen seperate emails. I think I actually explained this somewhere before, but hey...maybe that was in 'No Eyes Needed'. Anyways. The nickname of 'Nancy' came up after me and my sister stayed up to, oh, 1 or 2 am watching the Fellowship of the Ring (extended edition). We decided to to give all the members of the Fellowship nicknames - and not just manglings of their names. Legolas somehow ended up with 'Nancing Hot Elf'. I think this is due to my sister having an infatuation with him, and me loving to poke fun of him. Anyways. Some more nights with more watches of FotR, and TTT when it came out, along with some freezer pops and other sugary goodness, ended out with Legolas's nickname being shortened to 'Nancy' by me. So really, you can just blame sugar, lack of sleep, and Caradhas.  
  
And for another note about a common topic amoung reviewers! Boromir's fate IS set in stone now. He is going to die. To do otherwise would be to royally screw up parts of the plot...which you're probably all going to kill me for even if Boromir didn't die. *sigh* Oh well. Maybe I'll have the Glorfindel/Rachel picture finished by the time it gets to that part and I can use it to appease all you reviewers...  
  
And on that cheerful note, thank you one and all for reading, even if you haven't reviewed, and I'll see y'all again on Wednesday!  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	60. Double

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Damn, I am so out of ideas for funny disclaimers...  
  
Rachel: What?! How is that possible? You've only done 57 (or so) of them!  
  
CS: ...'only'?!  
  
Rachel: Yea-*stops and ponders* OK, I guess you have an excuse.  
  
CS: *sarcasticly* So glad you agree.  
  
Glorfindel: *arching an eyebrow* Manners, Crimson.  
  
CS: *arching an eyebrow right back* Did you just scold me?  
  
Glorfindel: *blinks* Er...um...no?  
  
CS: Oh no, I think you did. I suppose you forgot I am an Author? And that I have complete control over you in not only this disclaimer, but the fic that this is the diclaimer FOR?  
  
Glorfindel: Er...Actually, I did. Which is probably your fault, since, as you said, you DO have complete control over me. *smiles nervously*  
  
CS: ...  
  
Rachel: You can't deny it. His logic is sound.  
  
CS: ...  
  
CS: I own nothing, though I have control over many things. *glares at Glorfindel and Rachel* Unfortunately.  
  
-60: Double-  
  
It was a week into February when I arrived at the practice field just after lunch one day for my daily lesson and found, to my great worry, that a smirking Haldir was waiting with Glorfindel.  
  
"Er...what's he doing here?" I asked Glorfindel nervously, eyeing Haldir. Things had been a little iffy between Haldir and me since I'd borrowed his sword - I wasn't quite sure how far I could push him, and he seemed to take advantage of it at every turn. Thus, I'd avoided him as much as I could.  
  
"I have taught you what I can of the double-bladed sword. Anything else would do more harm than good." Glorfindel said with a shrug and an apologetic smile. "If you wish to learn more, you must learn it from Haldir." Haldir's smirk turned into a grin. I sighed.  
  
"And thus begins my torture." I muttered. Glorfindel gave me a sympathetic look, and kissed me lightly on the temple before stepping back and out of the practice ring where Haldir and he had been waiting for me. Haldir's grin widened as his eyes glittered, and he asked me to unsheathe the sword. THE sword. He was very careful not to refer to it as either mine or his.  
  
The instant I unsheathed it, of course, he ordered me to sheath it again, and so began an entire aggravating afternoon of learning the various ways of sheathing and unsheathing double-bladed swords from an Elf who I swear has the blood of both Morgoth and Sauron in his veins. Glorfindel, the wonderful Elf, stayed for the entire thing, and was there to guide me back to my flet after Haldir disappeared with a cheerful wave. I spent the entire evening sulking, though I knew it was childish, and Glorfindel indulgently put up with it, listening to me as I ranted about Haldir's faults and my lists of the Many Ways I Would Like To Kill The Marchwarden.  
  
Orophin put in an appearance just after Glorfindel had had supper brought up, probably to try and get me to come for dancing lessons, but he took one look at my face, and he didn't need Glorfindel's calm statement that I'd had my first lesson with Haldir today to know that coming up had been a mistake. He managed to escape relatively unscathed, though a little white from my vicious verbal attacks.  
  
I spent the night in Glorfindel's flet, the first time in awhile, but I needed it, and Glorfindel knew it. When I woke, Glorfindel was gone, but that was nothing new. He always seemed to have things to do in the morning, having reserved the early afternoons and evenings for his free time. He had commented once that if he was in Rivendell, he wouldn't have even been allowed that - it would have been either early afternoon or the evening, not both. I was still trying to figure out what duties he had in Caras Galadhon, considering he didn't live here.  
  
I had breakfast brought up to Glorfindel's flet, and the kitchen person who delivered it arched an eyebrow at finding me alone in Glorfindel's flet, but said nothing more. I would have returned to my own flet, but I wasn't in the mood for company, and the best way to avoid company was to stay in Glorfindel's flet, which everyone I knew expected to be empty around this time of day. So I was left in peace as I ate my breakfast, then went to my flet for a quick change of clothes before returning to Glorfindel's flet and settling down for an easy morning of reading.  
  
All too soon, however, it was lunch time, and I changed into trousers and a tunic, grabbed the borrowed double-bladed sword, and headed down to the Fellowship's pavilion for lunch. Since I usually spent the morning with one or more of the hobbits and/or Boromir, it had become habit to eat lunch at the Fellowship's pavilion before going off for my afternoon weapons practice, so even though I hadn't gone anywhere with anyone that morning, I still showed up there for lunch. The hobbits were all in attendance when I arrived, and they soon had me laughing and joking.  
  
Then, just as I finished eating, Haldir sauntered up. He looked at me, smiled sweetly, and then walked off to the practice fields. I rolled my eyes and picked up my sword as I stood.  
  
"Off already?" Merry asked with surprise.  
  
"The Annoying One awaits." I said, motioning to where Haldir had disappeared.  
  
"I thought you were having lessons with Glorfindel?" Aragorn, the only other member of the Fellowship besides the hobbits in attendance, asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"I did until yesterday." I replied grouchily, then waved farewell to the hobbits and made my way off to the practice field. This time, I actually got past unsheathing and drawing the sword. Haldir let me go so far as settling into a stance before tsking and informing me that I was hopeless. The afternoon just dragged on from there, the entire time being spent on stances and how to go from unsheathing the sword to a good stance in the smoothest, quickest and safest manner.  
  
I wasn't as annoyed as I had been yesterday by the end of the lesson, but I got a travelers meal from the kitchens, anyways, and went for a walk instead of searching out any of my friends. Boromir found me shortly after I'd finished my supper, as I was sitting in the low branches of a tree, staring moodily up at the canopy. He somehow managed to clamber up into the tree and settled himself on a nearby branch.  
  
"Y'know, I listened to you and Faramir complain, but I don't think I ever really realized how annoying weapons teachers can be." I said after a short while. There was a low chuckle from Boromir.  
  
"No one can until they experience it. It is just one of those things that must be experienced to be believed." he said.  
  
"Because no one wants to believe that sort of evil exists in the heart of their very society." I said sourly, and Boromir chuckled again.  
  
"Evil? Nay, 'tis only a strong desire to pass on their knowledge." he said, a twinkle in his eye. I shot him an annoyed looked, remembering saying those very same words myself not all that long ago.  
  
"Don't quote my words back at me." I growled lightly. "And anyways, I know it's just a desire for revenge with Haldir."  
  
"Perhaps." Boromir said. "But the double-bladed sword can be as dangerous for those wielding it as for those going against someone wielding one. It is an awkward weapon, and one must know how to use it to avoid injury."  
  
"Been looking things up in the library?" I asked Boromir dryly.  
  
"Actually, believe it or not, I listened to Master Hamir occasionally." Boromir said with a small grin, naming his old weapons master.  
  
"He told you about double-bladed swords?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"He said they were such an odd weapon he could not help but mention them." Boromir said with a chuckle.  
  
"Odd indeed." I said with a light frown. "And if anyone but Haldir was teaching me how to use one, I'd probably enjoy the oddness, even if whatever teacher I had was as strict as Haldir."  
  
"Then ignore the fact that it is Haldir teaching you." Boromir said promptly. I looked over at him and arched an eyebrow. "If he is what is making the lessons so unbearable, then ignore the fact that it is him. If you intend to use a weapon in combat you shall have to learn to ignore whoever's on the other side of it, anyways."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Indeed." Boromir said, then turned thoughtful as he continued, "If you think too much about who's on the other end of your sword, you will end out engulfed in worries about whether you are doing the right thing or not. You start wondering if the being you just killed really wanted to be there, or if they were forced to go against you. Or perhaps they were simply going against you because they had never known anything other than opposing you, and perhaps if they had been given the chance, they might have fought beside you instead of against you.  
  
"These worries will slow you down, cause you to make mistakes." Boromir grinned slightly as he continued, "They will also leave you with strong emotional and mental scarring after each battle. Something that is most definitely not good. Most warriors develop a way to ignore these thoughts, to push it to the back of their mind and see the ones in front of them as a faceless enemy - indeed, many have it before they even go into their first battle. You, however, most likely do not, and you should take the chance that you have to develop it now."  
  
"So you're saying that Haldir being utterly annoying and evil is actually a good thing?" I asked with amusement. Boromir nodded, and I could see his lips twitching as he held back a smile.  
  
"In this manner, it is. It will give you practice in focusing on what you are doing, and not on who you are fighting. Because focusing on who you are fighting, and not on how you are going to beat them, can lead to trouble." he said, and then suddenly grinned. "And besides. It's the perfect revenge."  
  
"The old 'Drive Them Insane By Not Caring What They Say' trick?" I mused aloud, and then chuckled. "You're right - the perfect revenge, and from what you've just said, a handy skill."  
  
"Of course I'm right." Boromir said haughtily, drawing himself up and looking every inch a Gondorian Lord, descendant of Elros Peredhil (albeit through a very convoluted path) and proud of it. "I am Lord Boromir, Son of Denethor, heir to the stewardship of Gondor."  
  
"You forgot to mention the big hairy ape part." I said with a grin, then jumped down out of the tree and dashed back to Caras Galadhon even as the remark registered in Boromir's brain and he set off after me with a cry of mock-outrage.  
  
We arrived at the Fellowship's pavilion some time later, laughing, both panting slightly from the extended run - I'd gone quite a ways out of the city. The entire remaining Fellowship, for a wonder, was actually at their pavilion - probably because it was just about time for sleep - and looked at us strangely as we flopped onto the ground, still laughing.  
  
"Boromir's a big hairy ape!" I announced when I'd recovered enough breath, and immediately had a handful of leaves thrown in my face. I shot out a foot and kicked Boromir in the shin, causing him to yelp, as I brushed the leaves out of my face and hair.  
  
"Glad to know you two are getting along." Aragorn said dryly. "Glorfindel wanted to see you when you appeared again, Rachel."  
  
"Oh? Not that I mind him wanting to see me, but did he say why?" I asked, tilted my head as I still lay on the ground so I could look up at Aragorn. The ranger shook his head. "Ah well. As soon as I can move, I'll go hunt him down."  
  
"I thought Elves had superior stamina." Boromir said from beside me.  
  
"And if I ran that quickly and that far on a regular basis, I'm sure I would." I shot back. Boromir and I quieted as we rested, and the Fellowship went back to the conversations they'd been having before we showed up. I listened in out of boredom, and was glad to note that Gimli and Legolas already seemed to be getting along better. Merry, Pippin and Sam were discussing food, and Aragorn and Frodo were talking about the Elves. Well, it was sort of one-sided, with Frodo asking questions and Aragorn giving long-winded answers, but hey.  
  
Finally, I pulled myself up from the ground, said goodbye to the Fellowship, kicked some leaves at Boromir - earning myself an indignant 'Hey!' - before heading off up to my flet. Yes, by this time I had managed to figure out how to get to my flet without getting lost. With the number of times I went between it and the Fellowship's pavilion, it really wasn't all that surprising.  
  
I went to my flet, first, to change - I was still in my trousers and tunic from practicing - and then went over to Glorfindel's flet. As usual, I didn't knock, but just entered, and found Glorfindel stretched out - in nothing but trousers - on the couch in his main room, one arm resting behind his head to prop it up as he read.  
  
"Yum." I said, my eyebrows shooting upwards, and Glorfindel shot me a grin, shutting his book with a snap.  
  
"Have a nice day?" he asked, jumping up from the couch and coming over to give me a light kiss on the cheek.  
  
"If you ignore everything before supper, yep." I replied cheerfully.  
  
"Troubles with Haldir?" Glorfindel asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"He and I just don't get along." I said, shaking my head. "And the fact that I'm indebted to him for any reason is just making it worse."  
  
"How about we lessen that debt, then?" Glorfindel said with a smile, and disappeared into his bedroom. He emerged a short while later with a long skinny bundle, wrapped in so-dark-it-was-almost-black red cloth. My eyes lit up as I saw it.  
  
"Is that what I think it is?" I asked, and Glorfindel nodded. I let out a little squee, then scampered over to him and carefully took the package from his hands. I bounced over to the couch Glorfindel had so recently vacated and sat down. Glorfindel sat beside me, carefully lifting one edge of the package so he could sit close.  
  
Once he was seated, I unwrapped the package in my lap carefully, and it was soon revealed to be what I thought it was - my double-bladed sword. I gave Glorfindel a kiss on the cheek, then carefully lifted the sword and looked at it more closely. It was, I decided shortly, a very beautiful - and probably rather valuable - weapon.  
  
The hilt was dark brown, almost black, in colour, and inset at the perfect intervals so that my fingers could rest between them were deep blue jewels - probably some form of sapphire. Silver was inset around the hilt, connecting the jewels, and followed the hilt up as it wrapped around the base of the blades. The sheaths on the blades were of black leather, and when I slid them off, I found blades of a shining silver colour, which seemed to almost glow. I cast a suspicious glance at Glorfindel when I noticed that, and he smiled back at me innocently.  
  
"It will never get dull." he said, and I chuckled.  
  
"Handy." I said. "And very beautiful." I cast a sideways glance at Glorfindel. "Did you pick the design, or did the smith?"  
  
"I did." Glorfindel said, slightly sheepishly. "Though both the smith and I had a hard time tracking down jewels of the right colour." I arched an eyebrow. "They match your eyes." Glorfindel pointed out. I blinked as I looked down at the sword, then took it and disappeared into Glorfindel's bedroom. I looked in his mirror, then down at the sword again. I went back into the main room and sat down.  
  
"So they do." I said with amusement, and Glorfindel grinned before giving me a light kiss. That quickly degenerated, and the sword was soon put on a nearby chair and forgotten about for the rest of the evening.  
  
----To be continued...with midnight discussions of Middle-Earth's most-wanted piece of jewellery!----  
(And smart-mouthing with Galadriel and Celeborn!)  
  
-Sword hilt!:-  
There is a link to my picture of Rachel's sword hilt in my profile - since FF.net seems adverse to letting me put it in the body of the chapter as I had intended to do.  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Due to the software glitch mention on the main page of FF.net, I have not gotten a review alert for ANY of the reviews for the last chapter, nor can I access them on the site, even though my review count has gone up. So if any of you asked questions or whatnot, I apologise, I'll reply to them as soon as I can GET to them. In the mean time, please, don't hesitate to keep reviewing...it will give me a nice good ammount of reading when I can finally get to my reviews...which, knowing my luck, will be this weekend.  
  
Speaking of this weekend. I shall be gone from the 5th to the 7th. As some of you will probably figure out, this goes right over my usual update time, which would have been Saturday. But, by Saturday, I'll be off in the rocky mountains frolicking in the snow. So. My next update, after this, will be Monday. Quite possibly a little late, but I WILL update on Monday.  
  
And y'know what else I discovered? If I make really fricking HUGE chapters, I can get the current 60 chapters of TGotG down to 20...Yes, I was extremely bored last night! Though, it is somewhat handy, because if FF.net tells me at some point that I can't add anymore chapters, rather than doing a 'TGotG, part 2', I will be combining chapters to make it all fit. Which means you might all hafta resort to using anonymous revies, but - that's a long ways off yet.  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	61. Annoyances

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Nothing do I own, though wish I do that I did.  
  
Faramir: *appears* That's very nice, but do you have a crowbar around somewhere that I could borrow?  
  
CS: ...crowbar? How do you even know what a crowbar IS, and why do you want one?  
  
Faramir: One picks up these sorts of things when they must spend time with Rachel. And I need one to get Nimmireth off Boromir.  
  
CS: Heh. Boromir went out 'incognito' to get an ego boost from listening to his fans talk about him again?  
  
Faramir: *nods* Nimmireth managed to find him, though thankfully no-one else did. She latched onto his back and won't let go, despite the best attempts of...well, just about everybody, including Sauron.  
  
CS: Hee. Good on her! *grins*  
  
Faramir: *blink* uh...?  
  
CS: Oh come on, just because I'm an Author doesn't mean I'm not a fan. In fact, one HAS to be a fan to be an Author...a good Author, at any rate. Only the fact that I AM an Author is stopping me from glomping all of you right now.  
  
Faramir: Er...right...*edges away*  
  
CS: Actually, I feel like glomping someone anyways...*eyes Faramir*  
  
Faramir: *runs*  
  
CS: COME BACK HERE! I WANNA GLOMP YOU! *runs after*  
  
-61: Annoyances-  
  
Haldir was, I think, thoroughly creeped out when I appeared at the practice arena the next day in a cheerful mood. He eyed me warily as I skipped over to him, and then seemed to suddenly notice the extra blade on my back. Before he could comment, I whipped his blade off my back and presented it to him with a flourish.  
  
"I believe this is yours." I said with a smile. Haldir nodded and took it, still eyeing me. He set the sword down on the side of the ring, and then returned to where I was standing.  
  
"Let me see your weapon." he said. I arched an eyebrow, but complied - it made sense that he'd want to inspect it. But the Valar help him if he started bad-mouthing it. Which makes it a good thing that, besides an arched eyebrow when he looked at the blades, he didn't comment.  
  
"Let us see if you can use it, then." he said, and stepped back, motioning for me to sheath the weapon and put it on my back again. When I had, he gave me a stance to end out in, and I drew the weapon, unsheathed it, and settled into the stance he'd named in what *I* thought was a smooth motion. Haldir tsked, however, and with that, began an afternoon lesson that was basically a combination of the past two days lessons - and just as aggravating, as well.  
  
Using Boromir's advice, I ignored the fact that it was Haldir who was teaching me, and I managed to come out of the lesson only slightly annoyed. At any rate, I didn't retreat to be alone after my lesson like I had the past two days - for which, it turned out, the hobbits were very grateful. Apparently I wasn't the only one who could get bored in Lothlórien.  
  
More days passed in Caras Galadhon, and the time for the Fellowship's departure drew near. The hobbits seemed oblivious to the impending departure, but the other of the Fellowship seemed to sense that it was nearing the time for them to move on, and quite often I would leave them at night, quietly discussing routes with each other, and sometimes Glorfindel or Celeborn, while the hobbits slept peacefully not far away.  
  
And it was on the 13th of February that I, restless and unable to sleep for an unknown reason, wandered down to the Fellowship's pavilion. I really didn't expect anyone to be awake - I went there more by default than anything else. But when I reached the pavilion, I found, to my surprise, that Boromir was awake, leaning up against a nearby tree and staring moodily at the ground between his feet.  
  
I considered leaving him alone, but he looked troubled, and I'd made a point of being there for Boromir and Faramir over the years. Silently, I walked over to him and crouched down at his feet. He looked up at me, mild amusement in his eyes, and then looked back at the ground. With a sigh, I realized that it might take awhile for him to say what was on his mind, and I moved and sat down next to him, also leaning up against the tree, to wait.  
  
It seemed a long time, but was probably no more than an hour, before Boromir spoke. He asked me what Minas Tirith and Gondor were like before he was born, and I told him what I could. He asked me what I thought of Aragorn, and I told him that while I did not know the man very well, I had no doubt he would make a good King. Then he fell silent for a moment, and when he spoke again, it was at last about the heart of the matter.  
  
"I know the wisest of the lands have said that this quest is the best path. That only with the destruction of the One can Sauron be defeated." he said with a sigh. "But day by day, I cannot help but wonder about the fate of Gondor. Even if the Fellowship succeeds, will any be left to celebrate the victory? Even when we departed from Minas Tirith, the vices of Mordor were beginning to close on us, and they will not take long to crush us completely. And every day I cannot help but wonder if that crushing could be averted, or at least delayed, by judicious use of that which we seek to destroy." I looked at him steadily for a moment.  
  
"If we use it, we become him." I said quietly. "In the same way that if you fight with the cruelty of Orcs, and do as they do, you will soon become one of them. Evil is a parasite, Boromir, and if you give it a foothold - any foothold, even one given to help defeat it - it will hold on with all it's might, and it will be bound to you for all your life. It will take you down with it when it goes, or take you with it as it rises.  
  
"Using the Ring could only cause more trouble for the peoples of Middle-Earth, believe me, Boromir." I said, looking at him earnestly. "The only way Sauron can be destroyed forever is through its destruction, and if it is used, it will not be destroyed. For it makes all men - and other creatures - covet it. Once held for long by one being, they are unable to release it. Even Frodo may, in the end, be unable to summon the will to destroy it and need the help of the Fellowship to do so." Silence for a moment, and then Boromir sighed.  
  
"This I know, and yet...I can not help but wonder." he said with a shrug.  
  
"It is calling to you." I said with a sad smile. "As it calls to all Men. It has survived once because of Men, and seeks to do so again."  
  
"You speak as if Men are the only ones affected. Does it not call to you?" Boromir asked me curiously.  
  
"In the manner that it's a sparklie thing and I'm a pack rat, yeah." I said with a brief grin, and then turned serious. "But I know what it would do if it survived, and I know its evil. I would not see that continue, no matter how tempting the power it offers might be." Boromir nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. Silence fell again, and I sensed that the conversation was at a close. I reached over and gave Boromir a hug, which he absently returned, and then I stood and made my way back up to my flet. Inside, I collapsed onto my bed with a tired sigh, and stared up at the ceiling for a few moments, thinking, before I decided that I could think about this all tomorrow, and cleared my mind and went to sleep.  
  
The next morning I spent in my flet, reading and thinking on my conversation with Boromir. I knew I could not prevent Boromir's temptation by the Ring, but I couldn't help by try to think of something to say to him to stop it. I wanted to help him, even though I knew that it would be best to leave it alone. Eventually, around lunch time, I shut my book with a sigh and decided that that was enough thinking for the day, changed into my trousers and tunic, grabbed my sword, and went down to the Fellowship's pavilion for some lunch before my lesson with Haldir.  
  
Only the short members of the Fellowship were in attendance for lunch, and we had a merry old time of it. The hobbits, and Gimli, quickly distracted me from my troubled thoughts, and when Haldir finally arrived, he found me on the ground, laughing so hard I was crying, while Merry and Pippin continued along in their funny tale about their exploits in the Shire. I calmed myself when I noticed Haldir, and when I finally stopped laughing, I realized that something was different today.  
  
"The Lady Galadriel wishes to speak with you, Lady Asira." Haldir informed me formally, confirming my suspicions. I arched an eyebrow, but didn't ask questions, instead saying a quick goodbye to the hobbits and motioning for Haldir to lead the way. He did, setting a brisk pace, and we were soon at a familiar door. He knocked, and was told to enter, and so I was let into the room where, oh so long ago, I'd been informed of Kari's little memory-wipe. And not only was Galadriel there, but Celeborn and Kari, as well.  
  
"Thank you, Haldir. You may go." Galadriel said, and Haldir bowed and left. Once the door had shut, Celeborn motioned for me to take a seat next to Kari, across from himself and Galadriel, and I did so politely. Kari shot me a curious look, obviously asking if I knew why we were here. I gave a small shrug.  
  
"Something has happened." Celeborn said, and Kari's and my attention was immediately focused on him and his wife.  
  
"I have felt a surge of power from the north." Galadriel elaborated. She gave Kari and me intense looks. "From Moria." Kari and I looked at each other.  
  
"I thought that did not come until the Fellowship left?" she asked me curiously, her mind instantly latching onto the only thing Galadriel could have felt.  
  
"No, it happens before, but doesn't get here until after they leave." I said with a light frown.  
  
"You know what this power is from, then?" Galadriel asked Kari and I intently. We nodded.  
  
"Yep." I said. There was a moment of silence.  
  
"Care to share?" Celeborn asked dryly after a moment.  
  
"We're both here because you didn't want us blurting out what we knew, why should we share?" I asked innocently. Galadriel gave me a stern look.  
  
"She does have a point." Kari said mildly, and Galadriel frowned at her granddaughter-in-law before returning her attention to me. I swear, the elf-lady has an unnatural fixation with making my life boring or uncomfortable.  
  
"Look at it this way - if it was big and deadly and coming to Lothlórien, we would be running the other way." I pointed out.  
  
"I thought you had plans to leave shortly after the Fellowship?" Galadriel asked, in a manner that was almost innocent. I opened my mouth to reply, and then glanced at Kari. She shrugged.  
  
"I hate to repeat myself, but she does have a point." she said.  
  
"Well, aren't we a bunch of pointy people." I grumbled. "It's nothing bad, in fact, it's probably one of the best things that could happen for this whole darned quest, so stop tying your dress in knots." Celeborn and Galadriel shared a look, and then Galadriel nodded.  
  
"Very well." she said. "Understand, however, that I only wished to be prepared should there be any danger to my people."  
  
"And understand that I run headlong into danger." I replied.  
  
"I thought you ran the other way?" Galadriel asked, arching an eyebrow. My right eye twitched, and I felt a surge of annoyance rising inside me. I hate people who play word games, even if - ESPECIALLY if - I walked right into them.  
  
"Whatever way we run, it is always bound to be interesting." Kari stepped in, sensing the impending explosion. "And if that is all, Grandmother, I believe Rachel has a sword lesson to attend?" Galadriel nodded smoothly, and we all rose at one. I purposely ignored Galadriel as Kari and I gave small curtseys - small for Kari since she was related to Galadriel, and small for me because I really didn't feel like giving a deeper one and nobody seemed to notice how deep I made them anyways. Then we departed, and I was quite happy to find Haldir standing right outside.  
  
"Come on, I want to go beat the crap out of something." I said, grabbing Haldir's arm and pulling him with me as I headed for the practice fields.  
  
"I need to go get my sword." Haldir said, trying to pull his arm free of my grasp.  
  
"Fine. Go get it and meet me at the fields." I told him, annoyed, then let go of his arm and continued stalking down to the practice area.  
  
"Rachel, calm down. It's not good to spar when angry." Kari said with a light frown, concerned, as she followed me.  
  
"I'm not angry, I'm annoyed. And the last time I fought while annoyed I fought Elladan to a draw." I did not - quite - snap at her, but my tone was sharp enough that Kari didn't comment. She did, however, disappear, and I suspected she was going to get Glorfindel, Boromir, or someone else along those lines.  
  
At the practice field, I quickly staked out an arena, and sat down in the middle, inspecting my sword - though I knew it to have no imperfections - while I waited for Haldir. I absently noted that Legolas was on the practice grounds, but I ignored him. He was absorbed in his spar, anyways. Finally, Haldir arrived, and I noticed with amusement that he'd brought the biggest of his three double-bladed swords. It was an awkward thing, much more of a danger to an inexperienced wielder than any of the smaller double-bladed swords, but with the skill and force that Haldir put into its use, it was also very deadly. My own sword was somewhere between Haldir's smallest and medium sized double-bladed sword, but I knew by now that having a smaller weapon did not necessarily mean you would lose a fight.  
  
I stood as Haldir approached, tossing my swords sheaths off to the side of the ring. Haldir did the same as he stepped into the ring - and I noticed with envy how the removal of the sheaths and their subsequent tossing to the side was barely even noticeable as he drew the weapon. It seemed as if one moment the sheaths were there, and the next they were not. I gave Haldir a sour look, but instead of smirking, he just arched an eyebrow back at me. The challenge was clear, but I wasn't about to go pick up my sheaths and try and duplicate his act. Now that I'd seen what the results of his teaching were supposed to be, however, I suspected I would be much better at it next time.  
  
Haldir and I settled into basic sparring stances and stood watching each other for a moment. Then we set to, and I vaguely noticed that even as our blades met for the first time, Kari arrived at the edge of the arena, someone in red and someone in gold right behind her. I spared a moment for amusement at the fact that she had gotten both Boromir AND Glorfindel, and then fell into the rhythm of the fight.  
  
I think Haldir was surprised with my skill with my weapon, but he quickly adapted. I was slightly surprised by my own skill, but realized in a brief break that I really wasn't doing anything I hadn't done before - I was using moves Glorfindel, Boromir and Elladan had taught me to use with a normal sword, but adapting them for two blades. It was as if everything I had been taught about weapons since October had suddenly sunk in, and I was able to access it and put it to the best use possible.  
  
I was still, however, far from being a master. The spar lasted for a good time, and we disarmed each other several times - only to recover our weapons before the other could press the advantage - but Haldir was better, and eventually I found myself in a half-crouch on the ground, ready to spring for my weapon, but blocked by the Marchwarden. He, very wisely, did not press his advantage and force me to go through yielding. Instead, he bowed politely to me, then fetched my weapon and held it out to me as I stood. I took it with a brief bow of my own, and then walked over to the edge of the ring.  
  
It was only then that Haldir and I became aware of what was going on outside the ring, and I noticed with a start that Kari, Glorfindel and Boromir had been joined in their watching by EVERYONE on the practice grounds, who were just now starting to drop away, murmuring to each other and shooting admiring glances at Haldir and I. I glanced at Haldir, and he arched an eyebrow back at me before bending to pick up his sheaths. My own sheaths were being held out to me by a stunned-looking Kari. Boromir, behind her, seemed mildly impressed, and Glorfindel...looked amused.  
  
"And the lesson for today is - Rachel gets better at fighting when she's annoyed with one of the Wise." I announced, and Boromir and Glorfindel chuckled. Kari shook her head.  
  
"You are insane." she said.  
  
"That's been established many times before." I said with a grin, and then looked over at Haldir. "See you tomorrow for the usual lesson?" I asked him, and he nodded, then disappeared into the trees. Kari shook her head again, and then we went with Boromir and Glorfindel back to the Fellowship's pavilion, laughing and joking.  
  
----To be continued...with an actually nice Galadriel!----  
(*falls over in shock*)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Uhm...some reviewers, I've noticed, are starting to comment about Rachel's reactions to Boromir again. To this I say - there's this old river in Egypt that Rachel's currently making herself very well aquainted with. But don't worry, it's going to hit Rachel eventually...and if THAT scene - actually, probably chapter - isn't enough for you, then I doubt anything will be.  
  
Also, thinking ahead to my next FanFic (yes, I have decided to write another one after this, though how long it'll be until I start writing it is another matter entirely) I've been trying to find a name I like for one of the main characters, and I have several...well, nine possibilities, and can't decide between them. So I made a poll and stuck it up in my livejournal, and I'd like you all, being the wonderful reviewers you are, to go there and help me out. You won't have any trouble finding it, and it doesn't require any sign-ups or anything - just follow the link to my livejournal in my profile, and you should be presented with the entry with the poll on it. If it's otherwise, you're either on my friends list or something's gone screwy...  
  
And lastly...I love all my reviewers, and FF.net seems to especially love Aztec Raven and Feather in a Pillow. It loves them to pieces, in fact. Many many pieces. Because I got about...oh, hmm, two dozen review alerts EACH for their reviews? O.o Oh look, there's another one...*prods FF.net*  
  
See y'all again on thursday!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	62. Mirror

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Gil-Galad: Crimson Starlight does not own anything, nor does she claim to own anything.  
  
Círdan: *walking in out of - quite literally - nowhere* Manwë is annoyed with you, Gil-Galad.  
  
CS: *stares at Círdan*  
  
Gil-Galad: Me? Why?  
  
Círdan: Oh, hmm, I don't know. Maybe because you let yourself be bribed onto the author's side?  
  
Gil-Galad: ...but...how did he find out?  
  
Círdan: Just because he can't talk or make any sort of physical appearance in a disclaimer doesn't mean he can't listen in.  
  
Gil-Galad: *censored swearing*  
  
Círdan: *looks impressed, then notices CS watching him* Uh, can I help you?  
  
CS: Can I touch your beard?  
  
Círdan: ...I suppose?  
  
CS: YAY! *touches Círdan's beard, grins like and idiot, and then glomps onto Círdan* BEARDED ELF!  
  
Círdan: Uh...  
  
Gil-Galad: *smirk*  
  
-62: Mirror-  
  
We had a very pleasant supper with the Fellowship, and probably would have stayed quite late into the night, but shortly after we finished eating, I saw Sam and Frodo wander off, and another tidbit from Tolkien's books surfaced in my memory. I gave Kari a nudge and nodded in the two hobbits direction.  
  
"Creepy Lady's mirror time." I said quietly in English.  
  
"Shall we follow?" she asked in the same language and at the same volume. I gave a brief nod, and then returned to the conversation so that our exchange wouldn't be noticed. Kari and I waited a short while, until we saw Galadriel moving in the distance, and then excused ourselves to go for a walk. Glorfindel tried to follow, but we firmly told him it was girl talk and if he came he'd either be teased to death or spontaneously combust from embarrassment. Glorfindel, not knowing what 'spontaneously combusting' was, but rightly guessing that it was bad, decide that the conversation was just fine at the Fellowship's pavilion and stayed as we headed off.  
  
"D'you know where her mirror is?" I asked Kari once we were out of earshot, and she nodded.  
  
"Elrohir showed me once when I expressed a curiosity." she said, and led us straight to it. The hollow that the mirror was located in was perfect for Kari and I to lie on the edge of and watch the goings on, and that is just what we did. I'm pretty sure that one wasn't supposed to spy on people looking into the mirror, but then, Galadriel probably knew the moment we arrived, though she didn't show it.  
  
So Kari and I lay and listened as Galadriel, Frodo and Sam went through the whole mirror thing - something that was quite amusing to us up out of the hollow, since we couldn't see into the mirror, or really hear much, and it honestly looked like the hobbits were freaking out after looking into a birdbath. Then came the part that earned Creepy Lady her nickname. Kari and I, involuntarily, shrunk back as we watched it, and when she returned to normal, we turned to each other with no little amazement.  
  
"So much creepier and cooler in person." I muttered to Kari.  
  
"You can say that again." Kari replied.  
  
"So mu-" Kari whacked me, and I grinned impishly at her before returning to the scene in the hollow. Sam was talking, and things seemed to be wrapping up - indeed, even as we watched, Galadriel suggested that they leave, and Frodo and Sam climbed up the stairs out of the hollow. Once they were gone, my suspicion about Galadriel knowing we were there was proved correct as she turned and looked right up at Kari and me. We stood up, Kari sheepishly, me grinning unrepentedly.  
  
"Y'know, if I was in your position, I think I would've taken the Ring just to get rid of me." I commented.  
  
"Which is why you are not in my position." Galadriel replied smoothly. "Come down here." Kari and I glanced at each other, considered running, then shrugged and made our way down to Galadriel. When we reached the bottom, we stood and waited for Galadriel to speak again, but for several minutes she just looked at us intently.  
  
"I would offer you the chance to look into the mirror, but I do not think it wise. Nor do I think you would accept if I did." she said finally.  
  
"Darn tooting straight." I replied cheerfully. There was another moment of silence as Galadriel looked at us thoughtfully.  
  
"Are you two still intending to leave shortly after the Fellowship?" she asked finally. Kari and I nodded. "Where do you intend to go?" Kari and I looked at each other for a moment, having not discussed this before, and the same quick thoughts went through our head - Saruman made any part of Rohan a write-off, and Dol Amroth was close to the sea, and neither of us wanted to see if the sea called strongly to us just yet. And Sauron would shortly make any part of Gondor except Minas Tirith a write-off. Which left -  
  
"Minas Tirith." we said as one, turning back to Galadriel. Galadriel nodded, though I could see her hesitation.  
  
"And you are taking Lord Glorfindel with you?" she asked. I nodded. "Have you thought out a route or made any preparations yet?" Kari and I looked at each other again.  
  
"No." Kari replied honestly, shrugging, as she turned back to Galadriel.  
  
"I see." Galadriel said with amusement. "I think you had best begin, do you not?"  
  
"Oh, probably. But it's just so hard to get anything started around here. It always seems like there'll be time later for it." I said, waving a hand through the air absently. "I think Tolkien once described Lothlórien as a place where time seemed immaterial or something like that? Or maybe it was someone else. Whoever it was and however they put it, they were right." Galadriel let out a little laugh.  
  
"I shall take that as a compliment." she said. "Seek out Celeborn tomorrow morning to begin planning for your journey." Kari and I nodded, then Galadriel bid us a polite farewell, and glided up out of the hollow. We were silent for a moment after she left, and then I turned to Kari and arched an eyebrow.  
  
"It's no wonder she didn't take the Ring to get rid of us - she was planning on encouraging us to leave by ourselves." I said, and Kari laughed.  
  
"Let's go get some sleep." Kari said, still grinning slightly from her laughter. "We have four days of whirlwind preparations ahead of us, and if I know my grandmother-in-law, she will make use of every single one of them to make sure we never, ever come back." It was my turn to laugh, and we set off up into the upper parts of Caras Galadhon, and towards our flets, in good spirits.  
  
The next morning, Kari and I met in the kitchens for breakfast, and then dragged Glorfindel with us as we went looking for Celeborn. We found him rather quickly in - surprise surprise - his study, looking over some maps. He gave us a welcoming smile when we entered.  
  
"Galadriel told me to expect you this morning." Celeborn said. "I assume this is to be about the journey you are planning on taking?" Kari and I nodded.  
  
"We have literally made absolutely NO preparations." I said with a grin.  
  
"Neither has the Fellowship." Celeborn said dryly.  
  
"Ah yes, the lovely effect of Lothlórien." I said with a smile. "But, we will make this simple. We want to get to Minas Tirith as fast as possible." Celeborn arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Minas Tirith?" he said.  
  
"Trust us; by the time Sauron's armies get there, it will be the safest place outside of the Elven realms." Kari said with amusement.  
  
"Then I suggest you follow, at least for the first part, the same path the Fellowship is going to take - south along the Anduin." Celeborn said. Kari and I looked at each other.  
  
"Nuh-uh." we said as one, looking back at Celeborn. He arched an eyebrow again.  
  
"If we were going to be more than a day behind them, maybe." I said with a shrug. "But a day is far too close for my comfort. And I really don't want to spend any more time in Rohan than possible."  
  
"Orcses are nasty, yes." Kari said emphatically. Glorfindel and Celeborn looked amused.  
  
"Very well. I suppose you could follow the Misty Mountains down. It takes you close to Isengard, but it also only skirts -"  
  
"How close to Isengard?" I interrupted. Celeborn pointed our path out on the map, then Isengard. I frowned lightly, and then pulled Glorfindel off to the side, out of Celeborn hearing. "How long would it take for an army to march from Isengard to Helm's Deep in Rohan?" Glorfindel blinked, looking at me in momentary surprise, and then frowned lightly.  
  
"Two or three days?" he said.  
  
"Cut that in half for Uruks, and you get a day or so. Hmm." I walked over to the map and looked down at it thoughtfully. I was mentally doing calculations. "When would we pass Isengard?"  
  
"That depends on the pace you set, and if you take horses. Sometime before March 5th?" Celeborn guessed, glancing at Glorfindel, who nodded slightly.  
  
"And we would reach Minas Tirith on...?" I asked.  
  
"Around the 20th." Glorfindel replied. Kari and I glanced at each other.  
  
"Is that not a little...late?" Kari asked with a frown, and I nodded, then looked at Celeborn and Glorfindel, who were looking confused and curious.  
  
"We need to be IN Minas Tirith by the 14th, preferably before. And I would really really REALLY like to pass by Isengard on the 2nd." I said.  
  
"Why...never mind." Glorfindel said, shaking his head. "With horses, we could most likely make it to Isengard on the 2nd, but to Minas Tirith by the 14th might be a stretch."  
  
"If there was a way to get boats to the Entwash, you could cross from Lothlórien to Fangorn, and then go down the river." Celeborn said thoughtfully.  
  
"Which would take us smack through Rohan." I said with a sigh.  
  
"But won't the nasty orcses all be at..." Kari let the sentence trail off, not wanting to finish.  
  
"I don't know." I said with a frown. "Damn, this is proving more difficult than I thought."  
  
"Maybe you should stay here." Celeborn said blandly.  
  
"No. It's going to get REALLY boring here in just over a month, and anyways, I think Galadriel would kill us." I said with a small smirk.  
  
"Then stop giving half-hints about what lies in the future and pick a path. There are only three that will get you to Minas Tirith." Glorfindel said with a sigh.  
  
"What do you think, Kari?" I asked, turning to her. "Shall we take the risk that all the nasty orcses are off being hugged by trees, and that all the Rohirrim are too busy with the shadow to stop us?"  
  
"Personally, I don't see why we shouldn't follow the Fellowship." Kari said with a shrug.  
  
"Stinkyness." I said, making a face.  
  
"Oh. Right." Kari said, also wrinkling her nose. "Let's got to Fangorn, and then follow the Entwash down. We can cross before the Mouths of the Entwash, and then make a beeline for Minas Tirith from there."  
  
"That geographically possible, dudes?" I asked Celeborn and Glorfindel. They looked confused at the term 'dudes', but understood the question, and both nodded.  
  
"I suggest we avoid going through the Druadan Forest, however." Glorfindel said.  
  
"Cool with me." I said with a nod. "That'll be our path, then."  
  
"And may the Valar protect us." Kari muttered. I grinned at her.  
  
"Come on now, you knew the risks when you agreed to go!" I said.  
  
"Yeah, but I did not realize it was going to be so tight!" she complained.  
  
"Now you have, so you had best go prepare." Celeborn said sternly. "And speak of how your journey shall be 'tight' only in your own flets."  
  
"Hint taken, Kel." I said with an impish grin. He shot me a withering look. "Come on, Glory, I'm about to wear out my welcome." I said, and grabbed Glorfindel's arm and pulled him out of the study with me. Kari was not far behind.  
  
We went first to the kitchens, and once we'd told the cooks how much food we'd need, we set off to determine what sort of things we'd need to bring with us. I was pretty much set, since I'd only brought things I needed with me from Minas Tirith - and Glorfindel had done the same when coming from Rivendell - but Kari needed a little help. Merry and Pippin showed up while we were packing, and wanted to know what we were doing. They stuck around for awhile after that, but seemed to decide that we weren't being much fun, and left. Boromir and Aragorn appeared later in the evening, after we had supper and were just finishing Kari's packing, demanding to know if we were insane.  
  
"Of course." I replied calmly, and Kari nodded sagely in agreement. The two Men spent the evening trying to dissuade us from leaving Lothlórien, and finally I told them that if they didn't give it up, we'd say we wouldn't go and then just leave once they left, anyways. They gave up, though they weren't happy about it. At any rate, they didn't have any more time to insist, as they left the next day and had preparations of their own to make. Though they tried their hardest to convince us not to go even as we walked with them to the boats they were to take down the Anduin.  
  
"The lands are not safe to travel anymore, Asira!" Boromir pleaded. "Though I respect Lord Glorfindel's skill with a blade, Lady Kari's with a bow, and your vastly improved skills with your own weapon, they shall not save you against superior numbers!"  
  
"We do not know the numbers of the Orc bands that may be out roaming between here and Minas Tirith. Why do you think we take boats?" Aragorn put in.  
  
"Aragorn, Boromir, me buds," I said finally with exasperation, "I KNOW what I'm doing. So does Kari. We know exactly what's out there. Yes, we're afraid we're going to run into a large band we can't handle, but quite frankly, Lothlórien won't be all that safe much longer. You guys stirred up a rather big hornets nest when you went through Moria, and Dol Guldur is just about smack dab across the Anduin from here. All across Middle-Earth a storm is brewing, and you two, out of everyone here, should take it as a compliment that Kari and I want to be in Minas Tirith when it breaks." Boromir and Aragorn had the grace to look somewhat abashed, and didn't mention Kari's and my intended journey again.  
  
So, with that topic out of the way, Boromir and I were able to enjoy our last morning in Lothlórien together, and spent the time annoying our guide - Haldir - or just generally being insane with random other people. Glorfindel joined in, to some extent, though the closer we got to the border, the tenser he got, even once I caught him alone for a second and reassured him that there would be no attack.  
  
Finally, however, we reached the boats, and it was time for the Fellowship to actually go.  
  
I said goodbye to the hobbits first, telling them to stand strong and remember that the bigger world could always use a piece of the Shire - either to cheer it up or to remind it of what it was fighting back the Shadow for. They seemed a little surprised that I could be so wise, and I grinned at them momentarily, before calmly going and bidding 'Nancy' goodbye. Once he was in the boat with Gimli and a little ways from shore, I called out to him,  
  
"Oh, Legolas - 'Nancy' is a girl's name!" I dashed away from the spray of water that came my way and grinned impishly at the Mirkwood prince. Then I headed, finally, for Boromir and Aragorn where they stood on the shore, their glances in the hobbits direction showed, and a few over-heard phrases told, what their slowly-becoming-heated discussion was about. I rolled my eyes and walked up to them.  
  
"Boromir, you must look after Merry and Pippin for me." I declared, and Boromir sighed.  
  
"Of course, Asira." he said with a smile. Aragorn looked a little triumphant, but I suspected Boromir was still going to argue, so I decided a little distraction was needed.  
  
"Good." I said with a nod. "Now, where's your shield?"  
  
"Over there." Boromir said with a sigh, pointing to one of the boats. I grinned, somewhat evilly I'm sure, and dashed over and grabbed it. I saw Boromir's eyes widen as he realized I hadn't just been doing my normal check-up of and reminder about his shield. I hid the shield behind my back as best I could and merrily skipped over to where Haldir was watching the proceedings with a critical eye. I heard Boromir call after me, but I ignored him, smiling sweetly at Haldir as he spotted me approaching and arched an eyebrow at me.  
  
Haldir is, of course, extremely fast and agile, with excellent reflexes - but Boromir has a rather large shield. So while Haldir reacted quickly enough to move before I could whack him, he simply didn't have the TIME to move far enough out of the way. He let out a loud yelp as the shield connected with his backside, causing everyone's attention to suddenly be riveted on him. He straightened stiffly, and I saw his hands twitch with the effort not to rub his backside as he glared at me. Then he stalked off into the forest as I returned Boromir's shield to him with a smirk.  
  
"Let this be a lesson to you in the many uses of a shield." I said to Boromir. "Do not leave it behind." Boromir shook his head, looking as if he didn't know whether to laugh or to groan.  
  
"I shall not." he said.  
  
"Promise?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. Boromir arched an eyebrow.  
  
"I promise I shall not leave my shield behind." he said.  
  
"Even if you're only going to get fire wood?" I pressed, and Boromir gave an exasperated sigh.  
  
"Even if I'm only going to get fire wood!" he agreed, and I nodded in satisfaction.  
  
"Very well then." I said, and then abruptly threw my arms around him in a giant hug. "Take care of yourself." I said softly in his ear. Boromir seemed a little surprised by my actions, but returned the hug, replying that he would, indeed, take care of himself.  
  
"I shall see you in Minas Tirith." he said solemnly when he drew away.  
  
"Only if you keep your promise and take your shield with you everywhere!" I said with a scowl. Boromir once again looked surprised at my vehemence, but nodded.  
  
"Farwell until we meet again." he said, bowing slightly to me. I returned the bow with on of my own - much to Boromir's amusement - and Boromir turned and went over to the boats. Only once he reached them did he realize that Aragorn had already gotten into the boat with Frodo and Sam, leaving him with only one option - the boat with Merry and Pippin. He shot me an amusement, resigned look as I grinned at him, then got in and after a few moments of piddling around in the boat, pushed off out into the current.  
  
I joined the Elves standing on the shore soberly waving goodbye to the Fellowship, my grin quickly fading as the seriousness of the occasion sunk in. My memory of the end of the Fellowship of the Ring movie played over and over in my mind as I stood on the shore long after the other Elves had begun to disperse, waving at the boats until their inhabitants became too indistinct to see the occasional answering wave - which were mostly from the hobbits.  
  
A depression was beginning to settle on me as I realized that this was the last time I would see Boromir, and I stood and watched as the boats faded into the grey horizon, finding myself unable to move, or even think much beyond what I was seeing. Looking back on it now, I'm pretty sure that was a defense mechanism kicking in to stop me from running after the boats prophesizing Boromir's death and the rest of the course of the quest at the top of my lungs.  
  
Glorfindel had left with the majority of the Elves, and Kari had stayed only a little longer, so I was alone as it actually did begin to sink in that Boromir would die. I'd known it before, yes, but I'd always put off the actual realization that my time with him was limited, because - well, he was here now and there was no use mourning him while he was here. But now that he was gone, and I knew that, if the quest went as it should, I would never see him again.  
  
I would never see his smile, so boyish and cheerful, never hear him laugh or tell a bawdy joke he'd picked up from one of his men. Never watch him squirm uncomfortably at a formal dinner, never again hold back laughter as he told his father a most outrageous tale, only to be believed. Never again would I have the extreme satisfaction of being able to claim the honour of only one of two people who were ever able to sneak up on him, never use that skill in tandem with Faramir's duplicate one to scare the usually fearless and unsurprisable Captain of Gondor out of his wits. Never again would the citizens of Minas Tirith welcome their champion home, never again would Faramir be able to speak to his brother. Never again would Boromir, son of Denethor, see the white towers and walls of Minas Tirith. Never.  
  
I felt tears pricking at my eyes, and had the strongest urge to sing, but nothing I knew how to sing matched my sorrow for intensity, and I'm not a good spur-of-the-moment musician. Nor had I ever been one to sing or cry in front of strangers - and while the banks had emptied somewhat, some Elves still remained who were tending to other boats. So I turned into the woods and started walking. I didn't care where I went, as long as it was private. I wanted solitude to mourn one of only two Men that I had let myself grow truly close to over the past 800 years.  
  
----To be continued...with the chapter most of my reviewers will probably hate me for!----  
(And that picture of Glorfindel and Rachel, hopefully!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Ugh...soooo...tired...I think I caught a cold up in the rockies. And even if I didn't, my mom's back from her vacation now and annoyed with me for 'not doing my schoolwork'. It's her own fault for putting 'clean closet' on my list of schoolwork to do, though. *ahem* Anyways. Enough complaining about my mom...  
  
As per usual, I love all you reviewers. It honestly brightens up my day when I get on the computer and find reviews from you people - and it's equally sad when I check and find no reviews at all. So, don't be afraid or shy to review - I don't bite. Maybe glow a little, being starlight and all, but not bite...even back when I was Gecko of the Year, I didn't bite. Mostly because Gecko's don't have teeth, but hey...and can you tell how tired I am from how I'm rambling on? I'm just going to go now...see y'all again on Sunday...  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	63. Grieving

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
Glorfindel: Ehm, well, as per usual, it looks as if CS has left the disclaimer up to us Elves to do...though unlike most times, she is actually nowhere to be seen at the moment, instead of just standing off to the side snickering like she usually does...  
  
Elladan: That's because she's walled herself into her basement to avoid angry reviewers and characters.  
  
Glorfindel: *blink* Angry characters? Why so?  
  
Elladan: *looks at Glorfindel incredulously* Haven't you READ the chapter?  
  
Glorfindel: Er...no.  
  
Elladan: Go read it. *makes shooing motions at Glorfindel*  
  
Glorfindel: Uh...alright then. *goes off and starts reading*  
  
Elladan: CS owns nothing, especially not this chapter. The little killer bunny from Monty Python and the Holy Grail wrote it, and is entirely responsible for it.  
  
Glorfindel: *comes storming through heading for CS's basement* Must...kill...author...  
  
Elladan: Heh. *smirks* Good luck, CS. *grins evilly*  
  
-63: Grieving-  
  
It was a patrol of the southern borders that felt the distant sorrow and went to investigate. Their leader, the Marchwarden Haldir, ended out being the only one to actually approach the clearing that was the source of the sorrow, as the grief coming from it was almost palpable it was so intense. It brought back old tragedies from the memories of the members of the patrol, and so they stayed at a distance and let their Marchwarden, a much stronger Elf in the emotion containing department, see who - or what - could be the cause of such grief.  
  
And so Haldir was the one to discover the Lady Asira of Gondor as she had finally stopped when her grief overcame her - on her knees in a small clearing, her face upturned to the sky, eyes shut and tears streaming from them down her cheeks. It shocked even him to find the supposed unfazable lady in this state, and his first action was to return to his men and send one to fetch Lord Glorfindel at once, no matter what he was doing.  
  
Then the Marchwarden returned to the clearing and called out to Lady Asira, but she did not notice his presence. Somewhat hesitantly, Haldir approached Asira and rested a hand on her shoulder for comfort. The next thing he knew, he found himself with an arm full of black-haired, grief-filled elf maiden. Surprised, it took him a moment to react and wrap his arms around her, but even then he was uneasy, and hoped Glorfindel would return soon - even his control was slipping, and snatches of his mothers departure for Valinor after his fathers death were beginning to slip through and make him want to join in Asira's crying.  
  
Just as it seemed his control would slip, however, a hand touched him lightly on the shoulder, and Lord Glorfindel kneeled beside him. Haldir gratefully handed over the crying elf maiden, and stood, preparing to leave, but Glorfindel caught his sleeve and gave him a questioning glance. Haldir shook his head, not knowing what had caused Asira's breakdown, and left the clearing quickly. Outside, he composed himself hurriedly before appearing before his men and gruffly setting them back on the path of their patrol again.  
  
Glorfindel, in the clearing, held Rachel as she cried (not like he had much choice, since she had a rather strong grip), not even attempting to speak words of comfort, as he didn't know what was wrong, and doubted words could make sorrow this strong go away, anyways. He himself had to force himself to concentrate on the lady in front of him to keep his own grief-filled memories at bay. And finally, the tears began to slow, and sorrow-filled eyes looked up at him blearily.  
  
"Glorfy?" she asked, sniffling. Glorfindel couldn't help but smile at the old nickname the twins, and Arwen in her time, had given him when they were younger.  
  
"I am here." he said reassuringly. Rachel buried her face in his chest, and a few moments later, she was asleep. Glorfindel sighed, then shifted the lady in his arms slightly so he could carry her easily before standing and making his way back to Caras Galadhon. He got more than a few strange looks on the way up to his flet, but he ignored them, and was grateful when he finally kicked shut the door to his flet and set the still-sleeping Rachel down on his bed.  
  
Her grip had loosened during the walk back to the Elven city, so now he was able to pry her hands off of his shirt. He changed his shirt, and then quickly slipped out to get a messenger sent to those he was supposed to speak with today to inform them that he was no longer available. When he returned to his flet, he heard soft crying coming from his bedroom, and returned quickly to find Rachel awake again, curled up in a ball and staring sightlessly at the wall as little sobs and whimpers escaped her every few moments.  
  
"Rachel?" Glorfindel asked in concern, sitting down on the bed next to her. There was a pause, and then her eyes slowly focused and turned to him before she said something in a whisper so quiet he couldn't hear it even at this distance.  
  
"What was that?" he asked.  
  
"He's going to die." the words were mumbled, quiet, and barely distinguishable, but he heard them this time.  
  
"Who?" Glorfindel asked softly, concern etched across his features.  
  
"Boromir. He's going to die. The Fellowship is going to be attacked an Amon Hen, and they're going to be scattered around because Boromir will have gone after Frodo, and then everyone else out after the two of them, and Boromir will die defending Merry and Pippin, which really turns out to be in vain because they get captured anyways." Rachel rambled on, and then finished on a miserable note. "I could have stopped him. Twice now he's asked me whether or not he should go. And both times I've given him vague answers that let him believe he should continue. Or that it's his fate to continue. I've sent him to his death."  
  
Glorfindel was silent for a long time, as Rachel looked around the room absently in a sad, wistful manner. So far, the knowledge that Alkarisil and Rachel had let slip to Glorfindel had been of little consequence. But now he began to see the dark side to their knowledge - they knew the sorrows that came along with each victory, each achievement. They knew, perhaps better then anyone, what pain the Shadow would cause before the War was done. But it was fate, obviously, or otherwise they wouldn't know it - and therein lay the comfort Rachel was obviously seeking.  
  
"It IS fate, Rachel. You cannot change that." Glorfindel said quietly. "You brought him to Rivendell, you encouraged him to go to the Council, and you have kept him on the path he was supposed to take. You could have done no different."  
  
"I could have told him no! I could have warned him of the dangers! I could have just forgone this whole thing and brought Faramir - or just let Denethor send a messenger as he wanted to! I could have done many things different, and he wouldn't now be going to his death!" Rachel said angrily, one hand lashing out to push Glorfindel's hand off her shoulder, where it had come to rest.  
  
"Perhaps. Or he might have fallen in defense of Minas Tirith. Or out in some garrison in Gondor. Or you could have let him embark on a quest that is the last hope of Middle-Earth." Glorfindel said softly.  
  
"A fool's hope." Rachel said bitterly. Glorfindel sucked in a breath, wondering if that meant what he thought it did - but surely Rachel and Kari would not have been speaking of going to Minas Tirith if Sauron was going to regain the Ring? "A fools hope that they could do this thing and come back unscathed. Gandalf will go through fire and death, Aragorn will claim his birthright, even though he doesn't want to, Legolas and Gimli will most likely be forever shunned for the friendship they're going to form, Sam will see things more horrible than he ever imagined, Pippin and Merry shall both come to deaths doorstep, and Frodo will lose a finger...and his innocence. And Boromir will die." There was a pause, and then Rachel glanced up at Glorfindel with grim amusement in her eyes. "Aren't you going to shut me up yet?"  
  
"Only if you wish it." Glorfindel replied, looking at her intently. "It did not take a genius to notice that you and Boromir are close - and now you say he is going to his death. Your grief is understandable, as is your need to get some things out of your system. I did not understand until now the depth or your knowledge, nor the danger or grief contained within it. Now I have glimpsed it, and I swear to you that I will be here for you when you need support." Rachel smiled sadly, but thankfully, and then hugged Glorfindel.  
  
"Thank you." she said softly and unnecessarily. Glorfindel kissed her lightly, then lifted her effortlessly into his lap and held her there as she continued to hold onto him. They stayed that way for a long time, silent and still, holding each other, but eventually, Glorfindel became aware of movement from the lady in his lap. It was small, at first, and then one of her arms unwrapped from around him and rested lightly on his chest for a moment before beginning to idly draw random patterns.  
  
Glorfindel smiled slightly. Even if the grips of grief, Rachel could not stay still for long. It was one of the things he loved about her - her energy and vitality were refreshing, pulling his memory back to before Sauron, before Morgoth's rise to power, when the Elves were more carefree and happy, at the height of their glory...instead of at the bitter end. Even Elladan and Elrohir, in their younger days, had not had such a way about them. They had been wild and energetic, to be sure, but they had never had the...  
  
Glorfindel's thoughts trailed off as he realized that Rachel's random patterns had turned into caresses. He blinked momentarily in surprise, caught even more off-guard when he felt a light kiss near the base of his neck. More light kisses followed, with the occasional flick of tongue, and Glorfindel held in a small groan, turning his head and capturing Rachel's lips in a kiss to stop her progress.  
  
This was, as was usual with things Rachel did, entirely unexpected, but unlike most of the other things Rachel did, Glorfindel needed to figure out what was going on and decide what the best course of action was before he responded. Grief was a powerful emotion, especially for Elves, and he did not wish to make a wrong step here, for he had no doubt that it would be fatal for his relationship with Rachel, if not for himself. (She was getting rather good with that sword of hers.)  
  
But Rachel, it seemed, was used to Glorfindel's quick response to her unpredictable actions. Thought was pushed forcibly aside as the maiden in Glorfindel's lap pulled herself closer to him, the arm that she had previously brought forward now wrapping up around his neck, her fingers brushing oh-so-accidentally against the tip of his ear before burying themselves in his hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss. This time Glorfindel couldn't hold back a small groan, and without thinking, nipped at Rachel's lower lip, then licked it lightly. Her lips parted, and Glorfindel slid his tongue inside, exploring her mouth, only to withdraw and let her do the same to his mouth after a time.  
  
Lost in the sensations, it took Glorfindel a moment (or more) to realize that Rachel's hands were being quite busy. His tunic was loose, his belt gone, and one of her hands was resting on his bare chest underneath his tunic. He had no doubt that he would shortly be no longer wearing his tunic. And he was right.  
  
Rachel withdrew suddenly from their kiss, dropped a few light kisses on Glorfindel's jaw, then moved away quickly, pulled off Glorfindel's tunic, and was back to kiss, lick, and nip along Glorfindel's jaw, neck, shoulder and collarbone before he could react. To further distract the elf-lord, one of Rachel's hands was stroking his chest in a rather seductive manner, and the other was dangerously close to the top of his breeches. It took a moment for that last bit about the location of Rachel's hand to sink in, and when it did, Glorfindel abruptly pulled his senses together, and thought furiously while internally fighting against the distraction and temptation that was Rachel.  
  
Glorfindel losing his tunic was nothing new - Rachel seemed to have an inordinate fondness for removing it. But the current circumstances made him think, and as he did, he realized that something was quite different from previous encounters with Rachel. There was a sense of tension and passion that there had never been before, for one thing, as well as several other emotions that were the reason why most Elves had less physical relationships with those they courted. This, Glorfindel realized, was serious. Rachel was not about to stop at merely removing his tunic.  
  
With that realization, Glorfindel abruptly stilled. He had no qualms with binding himself to Rachel, but he did not want to do it this way, under these circumstances. He wanted to do it romantically, not as an act of comforting a grieving maiden.  
  
"Glorfindel?" Rachel had noticed Glorfindel's stillness, and looked up at him curiously. He smiled tenderly back at her.  
  
"Now is not the time for this." he said softly, and then kissed Rachel lightly as he gently unwrapped her arms from around him. He pulled away again to find Rachel looking at him in utter confusion, the passion and love that had been in her eyes before slowly fading. Glorfindel smiled tenderly again, then lifted Rachel off his lap and set her on the bed before grabbing his tunic and belt and slipping out the door. He would have stayed, but he hadn't realized until he'd seen her confusion how much she'd affected him - he had suddenly wanted nothing more than to let her continue, tell her to never mind.  
  
If he'd looked behind him as he left, however, he most likely would have changed his mind and returned. For the confusion in his ladies eyes was very quickly changing to a darker, smoldering emotion - showing that that fatal mistake had just been made. But Glorfindel was oblivious as he left his flet.  
  
---  
  
Glorfindel was surprised - and, he admitted to himself, somewhat hurt - when he returned to his flet later that night to find Rachel gone. But he assumed she'd gone to talk with Kari, and dismissed it as he went to bed and fell into a restless sleep.  
  
When the elf-lord woke the next morning, it was with a feeling of dread, and a distinct impression that something was about to go very very wrong, if it hadn't already. Which it apparently had, he discovered with a wince as he looked out the window. The sun was high up in the sky - close to noon - and he, Rachel and Kari were supposed to have left right after breakfast.  
  
As they were going by Rachel's usual breakfast time, that only made him two hours or so late, but as he hurriedly threw on his clothes, he wondered why nobody had woken him. He wondered in response if the trip had been postponed - despite what Rachel and Kari said about the dates being tight as it was - due to Rachel's grief over the Son of Denethor's impending death. As Glorfindel finished dressing, he decided to go to Rachel's flet and find out.  
  
The instant he stepped inside Rachel's flet, he knew something was most definitely wrong. It took him only a moment to realize what it was - the flet was empty. None of the books that had gravitated to the flet were there, and it had the feel of a recently abandoned building. Glorfindel felt a cold knot forming in his stomach, and quickly checked the bedroom - empty. He felt a flash of panic, then calmed it and thought about it. Of course, Rachel could be at Kari's flet, already having cleaned up, and the two might be waiting for him there. Reassured, he left Rachel's flet and made for Kari's, where he betrayed his worry by entering without even bothering to knock.  
  
It was empty as well, though not as empty as Rachel's - Kari obviously intended to return. But not anytime soon. Glorfindel looked around blankly for a moment, and then calmly reasoned that Rachel and Kari could just be down by their horses waiting. He left and headed for the paddock.  
  
He reached the horses quickly, but found no short, black-haired elf there, and Aratelpe and Kari's horse - Lomesure - were gone. Cold fear the likes of which he hadn't felt since he had had his face-off with Morgoth's Balrog settled in the pit of his stomach, and he turned, searching for one of those that took care of the horses. He found someone quickly, and after a quick question, was informed that the Lady Asira and Lady Kari had left early that morning just after dawn - with provisions and equipment for a long journey.  
  
Glorfindel let out several curses that he had learned from the dwarves when they'd stayed in Rivendell, followed by several he'd learned from Círdan during the Last Alliance. The Elf he was talking to looked at him in surprise, and Glorfindel apologized briefly, then set off at a brisk pace - almost a run - for Galadriel and Celeborn's chambers. When he reached them, he knocked swiftly, and was bid to enter.  
  
Inside, he opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he saw that besides Celeborn and Galadriel, there was another Elf in the room - wearing Rivendell colours. The Elf - a messenger named Analto - rose when Glorfindel entered, and bowed, before coming over and holding out a letter. Glorfindel stared blankly at the letter for a moment, addressed to him in Elrond's flowing handwriting, while Celeborn and Galadriel looked at him in surprise, clearly not expecting him to still be in Lothlórien after hearing of Rachel and Kari's departure.  
  
With a low growl, Glorfindel took the letter, broke the seal, and read it swiftly. He pursed his lips and glanced up at Analto, then reminded himself not to shoot the messenger. Or impale him. Or slice him into little tiny pieces and blame it on Haldir. 'Horribly wrong' didn't even begin to describe how this day was going.  
  
"Very well. I shall be leaving for Rivendell after lunch." Glorfindel snapped, tossed the letter into the fireplace, and stalked out, leaving a stunned Lord and Lady of the Wood behind him, along with a confused messenger.  
  
----To be continued...with Gondor!----  
(And fun with Kari's full title!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
The author's note for this chapter has been cancelled due to Crimson Starlight walling herself into her basement in an attempt to keep the inevitable angry reviewers away from her. This does not stop CS from appreciating any and all reviews, however, even if they do just say 'How could you?!' She will, however, be back on wednesday, hopefully in one piece and most deffinately with a new chapter. She might be a bit late if she gets lost in her directory system again, though...  
  
Sincerely,  
~TFGWRW (from chapter 6, remember?)  
  
(I might be over-reacting, but hey - better safe than sorry, right? Oh, and there's a link to a page of TGotG images in my profile now, right where the old link to Rachel's Sword used to be. The Glorfindel/Rachel picture is at the bottom of the page.) 


	64. Gondor

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Well, er, that wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be...  
  
Dung Beetle: *wanders by*  
  
CS: Eep, bug! *runs away*  
  
Glorfindel, and most male elves hanging around: *rolls eyes*  
  
Rachel: Eew, bug. *drops a big rock on it*  
  
Dung Beetle: *squelches as it is squished*  
  
CS: *flies back in like Peter Pan, all glittering and happy, then Author-zaps the rock+squishied bug out of existance*  
  
Glorfindel: ...O.o  
  
Rachel: What? She runs, I squash, she comes back and cleans up. It's a good system!  
  
Glorfindel: ...right. CS owns nothing...it's all Tolkien's. (Thank the Valar...which are also Tolkien's)  
  
-64: Gondor-  
  
"So when and where exactly is Glorfindel going to catch up with us?" Kari asked me as we rode south, towards Fangorn.  
  
"He didn't say. He just said some business had come in with a Rivendell messenger and we should go on ahead." I lied smoothly, not turning my attention from the path in front of me. I didn't like lying to Kari, but...well, my reasoning was that if Glorfindel was smart and wanted to keep our relationship going, he'd catch up on his own and explain why the bloody HELL he ran out on me.  
  
Was I mad? Only a little. At least when compared to how angry I'd been right after the door shut behind Glorfindel. I'd made up my mind then and there that Kari and I would leave without him, and it had only taken a few moments' thinking to come up with an excuse as to why. But Kari would be suspicious if we left early as well as without Glorfindel, so I decided to take the risk that we would be able to get out of Caras Galadhon, and Lothlórien, without Glorfindel spotting us the next morning, and stay there for the night.  
  
Unable to sleep, I had, instead, thoroughly cleaned out my flet, which I'd intended to leave for someone else to clean up just to exasperate Galadriel. I found all the books, went to the deserted, though thankfully not locked, library, put them all away, finished packing, got Aratelpe and Lomesure ready, and then went to get food for the journey from the kitchens the instant it was available. From then on, my mind was split in two - half was fervently telling Glorfindel (as futile as I knew it was) to remain asleep, and the other half was on whatever I was doing. Which wasn't much, as I had nothing more to do but wake Kari and skedaddle out of Caras Galadhon.  
  
I'll admit, I was somewhat surprised when we got out of Caras Galadhon and, as far as I knew, Glorfindel hadn't even woken. Maybe I was rubbing off on him or something. Whatever the cause, I was thankful as we rode out - though slightly nervous that he'd catch up before we even left the Woods, which was why I challenged Kari to a race. She accepted, and by mid-afternoon, the Golden Wood was behind us.  
  
It wasn't as if I was putting Kari or me in any danger by leaving Glorfindel behind, anyways. With the way things were going in Middle-Earth at the moment, whether or not we had Glorfindel would probably have little difference with the size of the groups of Orcs we were liable to run into. And Kari and I both had our weapons, anyways - Kari her bow and a short dagger, and me my new double-bladed sword. I'd considered leaving the sword behind in moment of bitter anger, but decided that to do so would be foolish on far too many fronts.  
  
Anyways. Kari and I talked little during the first day out, but as we camped that night somewhere between Lothlórien and Fangorn, Kari started asking me questions about Minas Tirith, wanting to know what to expect beyond what she knew of the books. The questions continued the next morning, and for the rest of the day. So the days of our journey passed, and I think that, due to the absolute lack of mentioning the subject, Kari forgot as easily as I that Glorfindel was 'supposed to catch up'. Over the rest of our journey, we strengthened our friendship almost back to where it had been on that fateful day when our house in the Australian Outback was hit by lightning.  
  
It took us three weeks to reach Gondor, most of which were spent laughing and talking - except for the brief day of mourning when we knew Boromir was dieing and the Fellowship was breaking - but all the while we were scanning the countryside for any sign of Orcs or roving bands of Men. It seemed, however, that we were either extremely lucky, or no one wanted to attack us for some reason or another - or maybe they just couldn't see us, what with our fancy Lothlórien cloaks and nice, fast horses - because we were not bothered until we reached the Rammas Echor.  
  
"Rammas Echor? Sounds like some sort of disease." Kari commented when the wall finally came in sight and I told her what it was called. I chuckled.  
  
"That it does. But as you can see, it's not. It's just a big wall they built around the Pelennor Fields when Ithilien was overrun." I said.  
  
"Sooo...it's like the Great Wall of Gondor?" Kari asked, tilting her head to one side as she looked at it. I grinned at her.  
  
"Something like that. I just call it the Really Really Freaking Big Wall." I said.  
  
"Well, you always did have a problem with being concise." Kari said impishly, and then spurred her horse forward again. I cried out in mock outrage and followed after her.  
  
We reached the wall near sunset, and quickly found the nearest gate. Kari pulled her hood up over her face, and I pulled out one of my scarves and wrapped it around my ears like I hadn't done since I had returned to Rivendell, before pulling my hood up, as well. The guards hailed us as soon as they spotted us - which wasn't too quickly, due to our Lothlórien cloaks - and demanded the pass-word for the gate if we knew it. Kari looked at me, and I grinned at her for a moment, before turning my attention back to the gate and saying in perfect English,  
  
"Open sesame." Kari sniggered as there was a shuffling behind the gate, and then three guards emerged, two flanking one who was obviously their commanding officer.  
  
"Who are you and what business have you in Gondor? War is nigh at hand, and we wish no strangers in our land unless they be fighting men." he said, eyeing us warily. I smiled with satisfaction, seeing that my warnings to Boromir and Denethor about spies coming in all shapes, sizes and genders had gotten through.  
  
"I am called Rachel, and my companion is Lady Alkarisil. We come out of the north, from Rivendell, and seek protection in Minas Tirith." I supplied. The guard looked at us for a moment, and then nodded.  
  
"Very well." he said. "You may pass." He and his men moved aside, and Kari and I shared a surprised look. "We have heard of your coming from Mithrandir." the guard said, amusement in his voice, as he noticed our surprise.  
  
"Ah." I said with a smile, deciding that Gandalf needed a big thank-you the next time I saw him. I went to bid the guards farewell, then, but suddenly stopped, feeling...something in the south. I shared a glance with Kari, and then we both locked our eyes on the skies of Mordor, where the dark clouds that covered that land were now slowly expanding to cover the stars.  
  
"The Dawnless Day has begun." Kari murmured, her eyes wide. I looked down at the guard.  
  
"Look to your posts, the enemy is moving!" I warned, and then kicked Aratelpe into a gallop, Kari not far behind. "May the Valar protect you!" I called back to the guards.  
  
"And us in our stupidity!" Kari called over to me as she came even with me. I glanced over at Kari and gave her a wild grin, which she returned, her hood now thrown back, cloak and hair streaming out behind her in the wind. She looked like a mad woman, and I'm sure I did, too. I laughed into the wind as we sped over the Pelennor Fields, the Shadow and all other threats fading as I enjoyed the speed.  
  
I had yet to gallop an Elvish horse for the pure pleasure of it, without the terror of being followed to spur me on, and I found in exhilarating. I really should have taken advantage of having Liltalen all those years ago and set some records for galloping around Minas Tirith in their once yearly horse race.  
  
All too soon, however, the gates of the White City approached, around the same time as what would have been dawn. We slowed our mounts until we finally stopped in front of the gates, and the guards called down a challenge. I gave them the password for the gate, and then they, like the guard at Rammas Echor, wanted to know our names. I was just about to supply them when a happy cry came from one of the guards.  
  
"Lady Asira! You have returned!" he called down, and then sent orders for the gate to be opened. I looked up in surprise.  
  
"That I have." I said, recovering as the gate opened.  
  
"You are most welcome! Mithrandir came not long ago bringing sad tidings of Lord Boromir, and we feared the same fate had befallen you!" the guard met Kari and I on the other side of the gate, and I recognized him as one of those Boromir used to go drinking with.  
  
"No, I am safe and unharmed, as you can see." I said.  
  
"And you have returned with an Elf. From Imladris?" the guard asked, seeming to notice Kari for the first time.  
  
"This is Lady Alkarisil of Rivendell, wife of Elrohir, son of Lord Elrond Peredhil, ruler of that Realm." I supplied with a smile. The guards eyes widened, and he bowed deeply.  
  
"M'lady." he said politely. Kari shot me a glare.  
  
"You needn't have said ALL of that." she said. I grinned impishly back at her.  
  
"Oh, but it's such fun." I said, and then turned back to the guard, who was smiling with amusement. "Is there a place for us to stable our horses?"  
  
"There is, though I cannot guarantee how long they will live should we fall under siege for very long." the guard said, looking worriedly towards the south.  
  
"Oh, Gondor has many friends in lots of odd places. I'm sure we won't be under siege for very long." I said cheerfully and reassuringly. Good thing I had a reputation for being annoyingly optimistic. "Now, stables?" The guard named a stable, and I took the lead and led Kari and I up through the city to the third ring, where the afore-mentioned stable was. Once we saw our horses settled - right across from Shadowfax, as it happened - we set off up the streets.  
  
We got many looks as we walked from the few that were out and about - it was near what would have been dawn if it wasn't for the black cloud that hung over us, after all - but it wasn't until the sixth ring that I was recognized again, and then it was by the guards of the gate. When we finally reached the gates to the Citadel, we were admitted without a challenge, word of our coming apparently having gone before us.  
  
Two servants appeared when we entered the Citadel and took our saddlebags, assuring me that mine would find it's way to my room, and Kari's to a guest room. Then we were lead by a guard, disregarding the fact that we had just traveled an entire day straight, to the throne room of Minas Tirith. Denethor was there, as was Gandalf, Prince Imrahil - and Pippin. Gandalf seemed indifferent to our arrival, Imrahil and Pippin pleasantly surprised, and Denethor...I briefly considered running when I saw his expression, but the doors were already shut behind me.  
  
"Lady Asira." he said coldly, standing and stalking closer to me.  
  
"My lord Denethor." I said smoothly, curtseying to him. His displeasure only deepened.  
  
"I am surprised you have the courage to return here after what you have done." he sneered.  
  
"You mean seeing to it that Boromir helped set in motion events that will save the world of Men - and all other races - from the Shadow and Darkness that even now threaten to engulf your lands, thereby bringing himself greater honour than any death on a battlefield could achieve?" I asked blandly in reply. I could see Pippin's eyes widen slightly in fear for me at my disrespect. Imrahil seemed amused, while Gandalf seemed to be teetering between the same thing and wondering if I was trying to commit suicide - for real, this time. I could not see Kari's expression, but I guessed it was like Gandalf's. Denethor himself seemed to grow angrier for a second, and then it abruptly all drained out of him with a sigh.  
  
"Why have you returned instead of remaining in the north, where it is safe?" he asked, returning to his seat. Pippin now looked amazed. Imrahil remained amused, and Gandalf had settled on that expression, as well.  
  
"It was boring." I said with a shrug. Denethor looked at me incredulously for a moment, and then chuckled mirthlessly.  
  
"I knew you were not one to remain in an uninteresting situation, Asira, but I had not thought you were this mad." he said.  
  
"I usually hold myself in check much more." I said with a smile.  
  
"Well, it is good you have returned. Word has spread of Boromir's death, and many of my men seemed to fear you had been lost as well. How you have become so well liked when you are constantly stepping on toes, I do not know, but your arrival will bolster their courage somewhat." Denethor said, eyeing me speculatively. I smiled back at him.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure it will. But if you don't mind, Lady Alkarisil and I have been on the road since yesterday's dawn, and even Elves need rest." I said. Denethor nodded, and waved a hand at us in dismissal.  
  
After leaving the throne room, I led Kari to her guest room - after asking only two servants where she was to be situated - before heading to my own rooms. Inside, I called for a bath, and the servants brought one quickly, though they informed me that this would be the last such luxury for a long while, as water was to be hoarded now. I nodded pleasantly in agreement, not caring as long as I got my current bath now, and then once they left, cleaned myself thoroughly. Done, I left the bath for the servants to empty, then crawled into bed and went to sleep.  
  
----To be continued...with the character I'm really annoyed that they left out of the movie!----  
(And the ever-lovable soon-to-be Prince of Ithilien!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Well, I didn't get flamed or pelted with as many unnatural things as I thought I would...nor get as many death threats as I feared I might. Guess that just goes to show what understanding and wonderful reviewers I have. :) (Of course, the fact that I'm always telling you people how wonderful you are might have helped...who knows?) I'm glad you all decided not to kill me, though, as this story IS going to having a happy ending, and I'd hate to leave you without that ending...but it will take a few chapters to get Rachel and Glorfindel back together. 'A few' meaning six, in this case.  
  
And speaking of the ending of this fic - this story is so long that I have, inevitably, made a few wrong-turns in it's writing, and had to go back and re-write scenes. However, sticking with the writer's philosophy of 'never throw writing out', I have saved the majority of the more lengthy wrong turns, and still have them kicking around on my hard drive. The question is, once I'm done TGotG, would you, the reviewers, like to see these wrong turns? I'd probably post them all as a final chapter or two, and they'd be rough and un-polished, but they would perhaps be interesting. It was a thought, and I figured I would ask you all and see what your opinions might be.  
  
In other news - my mom bought my dad a DVD player for his birthday. So there is now a DVD player in the house! Yeah! Now I just need to convince people to buy me the extended and normal editions of all the Lord of the Rings movies on DVD...or maybe I'll have to go get a job and buy them myself...  
  
Anyways. That's all from me for now. I'll see you all again on...well, to be honest, Friday night. Because I find myself unable to continue updating in mornings...therefore, I shall be doing it the night ahead of time. Most of you will probably not see the chapter until the next day, anyways.  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	65. Friends

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Beware the ladybugs, icy cold puddles of freshly-melted snow, and lawyers who claim that I have said I own any of this. They are evil, cold, and wrong, respectively...  
  
Rachel: What is it with you and ladybugs?  
  
CS: I...um...actually, I don't know...hm. Strange, that.  
  
Kari: Not really, when you take into account how crazy you are.  
  
CS: I'm not crazy...I'm insane.  
  
Kari: As I said.  
  
Rachel: So, are we going to do anything funny this disclaimer, or are we just going to be lazy and disapoint all the reviewers?  
  
CS: Mmm...how about a random reviewer appearance? *makes a motion with her hand, and a loud POPing sound is heard*  
  
Harry Potter: *runs in and hides behind Rachel* Save me!  
  
Rachel: *blink*  
  
Draco Malfoy: *runs in and tackles Harry, then promptly starts making out with him*  
  
Rachel: Err...I think you got the wrong people, CS.  
  
CS: Nope.  
  
Kari: So...Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are reviewers of yours?  
  
Fizban's Cleric: *runs in and grabs both Harry and Draco in a big bear hug*  
  
CS: *grins* Nope, she is. *ponders* Though that would be cool, if Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy reviewed my story...would be better if Lucius Malfoy did...actually, I'd just like him period...*grabs Draco out of Fizban's Cleric's bear hug* Yo, Draco, where's your dad?  
  
Draco: Um...*blinks* At home?  
  
CS: Take me there.  
  
Draco: Uh...ok? *the two disapear*  
  
Rachel: Ai yi yi...  
  
Harry: I can't...breathe...  
  
Kari: Right...this was entirely random, and not all that funny...  
  
Harry: Someone...help...please...  
  
Fizban's Cleric: *continues hugging Harry*  
  
-65: Friends-  
  
I woke later that day, near evening, feeling refreshed. I changed, then went to Kari's room and found her just waking up. I had a meal brought, then settled down to wait and eat with her. Once the food came, we both dismissed the servants, then locked the door, and I tore the scarf off my head.  
  
"Somehow, it has gotten about six times more annoying since I last wore it." I grumped, glaring at the scarf. Kari chuckled.  
  
"Well, you never did like having your ears covered, even before they gained points." she said, and I nodded. We settled down for breakfast - alright, it was actually supper - and ate in silence for a time. When we were almost done, Kari suddenly looked up at me, a thoughtful expression on her face.  
  
"I take it Glorfindel is not going to be catching up with us." she said. I blinked in momentary surprise at the unexpected - and avoided - topic, then recovered and shrugged.  
  
"Apparently." I said. Kari narrowed her eyes and set down the bread she was eating, looking at me intently. I squirmed under her gaze, and set my cup down.  
  
"What is going on, Rachel?" she asked after a moment.  
  
"What do you mean?" I asked somewhat nervously.  
  
"Why did we leave Lothlórien without Glorfindel?" she asked.  
  
"I told you," I began patiently, "A messenger from Rivendell came and Glorfindel said he had some business to -" Kari cut me off with a shake of her head.  
  
"No, what is the real reason?" she asked. "You said he would catch up with us, but he has not. Obviously there is something else."  
  
"Maybe his business took longer than he thought it would." I said with a shrug.  
  
"Which does not explain in the least why you have hardly spoken of him for our entire journey, and just now you seemed indifferent to the fact that he has not caught up with us, when for the past few months you two have been hanging off of each other and being annoyingly in love." Kari said with a small frown. I looked down at my plate and began inspecting it. "Rachel." Kari's voice had a touch of warning in it this time, and I sighed and looked up.  
  
"Glorfindel and I got in a fight just before we left." I said.  
  
"And he stormed off to Rivendell?" Kari guessed, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"I wouldn't know. We parted ways the night before we left, and I have not seen him since. Asfaloth was still in the pastures when I went to get Aratelpe and Lomesure, though." I said with a shrug. "I'm sure Gandalf would know more." Kari sighed.  
  
"Ai, this is just wonderful!" she said with exasperation. "I thought you knew better than to sleep on a fight, or walk out on one, Rachel!"  
  
"I do." I said with annoyance. After all, I hadn't slept on it - not until a full day later, when Glorfindel was far away, at any rate - and *I* wasn't the one who walked out.  
  
"So why did we leave Lothlórien without Glorfindel?" Kari asked.  
  
"Because." I snapped in reply, unable to come up with a suitable half-truth or lie in time. I really didn't want to tell either to Kari, anyways - she was my friend. And even if I didn't want to tell her the truth - it was still far too tender a topic for me - that didn't mean I wanted to lie to her. Kari looked at me in irritation, apparently intending to get more out of me, but I was saved by a knock on the door. Kari sighed, then went and unlocked and opened the door.  
  
"Prince Imrahil." she said politely, and somewhat surprised, curtseying lightly.  
  
"Lady Alkarisil." I heard him reply. "I apologize for disturbing you, but I had been told Lady Asira was here, and I wish to speak with her."  
  
"Of course. Come in." Kari said politely, and I heard the light thumping of Imrahil's boots as he entered the room. I stood from my chair and curtseyed lightly when he entered.  
  
"Lady Asi-" Imrahil stopped abruptly, in the middle of returning my curtsey with a bow, his eyes wide. It took me only a moment to realize why, and I let out a mental stream of curses. I hadn't covered my blasted ears. There was a moment of awkward silence, and then Imrahil straightened, tilted his head to one side, and let out a chuckle.  
  
"And so many questions about - and peculiarities of - the mysterious Lady Asira are answered and explained." he said with a light grin. I smiled faintly back at him.  
  
"I was unaware that I was perceived as mysterious?" I said.  
  
"When anyone stops to think about your past, you are." Imrahil assured me.  
  
"Indeed. But you wished to speak with me?" I asked.  
  
"Yes. About Denethor..." Imrahil trailed off, seeing me shake my head.  
  
"There is nothing that can be done for him. He has set his own course, and will follow it to its bitter end." I said. "The most we can do is watch and guard, and be ready to shoulder his duties should he neglect them, so that he does not take us down with him." Imrahil blinked in surprise. "Boromir isn't the only one who went to Rivendell for counsel." I told the Prince with an amused smile. Deliberately misleading, but it worked better than having to explain things to him. Imrahil accepted it with a nod, at any rate.  
  
"Very well. That was all I had to speak with you about, m'Lady, so I shall take my leave now." he said, bowing slightly.  
  
"Oh, come, stay. We were just finishing our meal, and I can see you have other questions just waiting to be asked." I said, knowing Kari would start up with the questions again as soon as he left. Imrahil seemed about to politely refuse the invitation and make his way out, but Kari abruptly came up beside him and laid a hand on his arm.  
  
"Yes, come, sit and talk." she said with a smile, surprising me. "I have wanted to meet you for some time." Imrahil looked surprised and flattered, and let himself be led to an empty chair. There was a brief silence as he and Kari got seated - Imrahil, ever the gentleman, pulled out Kari's chair for her - then I spoke as I turned back to my food.  
  
"Ask away, then, Imrahil." I said with a smile. "I shall try to answer as best I can." A pause.  
  
"Why did you come to Minas Tirith?" he asked.  
  
"People in Rohan were beginning to wonder why I wasn't aging." I replied promptly and honestly.  
  
"You were in Rohan before?" Imrahil asked in surprise, and I nodded. "So you are not from Rivendell, sent to aid Men in this War?" I shook my head vigorously.  
  
"I came of my own accord, and truthfully, I cannot be said to be from any one Elven Realms, though I did originally come from Rivendell." I said.  
  
"Though you might be said to be of Rivendell eventually if you stop being an idiot." Kari said pointedly. I gave her a withering look. Imrahil arched an eyebrow at the exchange, but did not comment.  
  
"So you are a wanderer?" Imrahil asked, changing the topic, and I shrugged.  
  
"In a sense. I only ever traveled between Minas Tirith and Meduseld, really. The world has only gotten more dangerous over the past 800 years, and except for the occasional trip to Bree, I did not care to risk going to smaller villages or towns, especially as, until recently, I had no skill with any weapon." I said with a shrug.  
  
"Yes, I noticed you carried a blade when you arrived." Imrahil said with a light frown. "But is that not an odd way to carry a sword, on your back, with the point upwards? Or is it an Elvish way?"  
  
"It's a special way for a special weapon." I said dryly. "After much experimentation, it was discovered by an Elf in Lothlórien that I was most natural wielding a double-bladed sword. I have spent the past month learning of it, and am now fairly accomplished."  
  
"Unless you listen to Haldir." Kari said with a smirk.  
  
"Yes, well, he's a dwarf-loving freak who needs to be taken down several pegs." I said with a mock scowl. Imrahil arched an eyebrow. "Haldir is an Elf of Lothlórien, and the only living master of the double-bladed sword this side of Valinor. He taught me some of what I know. Even before he started teaching me, however, we did not get along."  
  
"Not at all." Kari agreed with a smirk. Imrahil chuckled lightly, and from there he asked me about Lothlórien, and Kari about Rivendell. He was quite curious about the Elven realms - which wasn't a surprise, considering how he was rumored to have Elvish blood in him - and Kari and I were more than happy to supply him with answers. Though I really didn't have many - mostly sarcastic observations. Imrahil commented on it after awhile, and I smiled wryly.  
  
"Galadriel and Elrond are freaky, Mirkwood has really big spiders, which I hate, and the Grey Havens are sad." I said.  
  
"Where then did you grow up?" Imrahil asked in confusion.  
  
"Monkey Island, three leagues out of nowhere." I said with a grin. Imrahil blinked at me, and then raised his hands in surrender, realizing he wouldn't be getting an answer. I smiled apologetically. "I'll tell you someday, honest. But it's a long story, and there are a lot of people who would like to hear it, so I'd like to get you all together and tell you all at once." Imrahil chuckled.  
  
"Ah, efficiency." he said, and I nodded. We talked some more, and eventually, around the time the sun would have been setting had we been able to see it, he left, and not long after, Kari and I heard the calls of the Nazgûl on the wind. Kari looked over at me.  
  
"Faramir." I supplied, and she nodded.  
  
"Shall we go greet him?" she asked.  
  
"Eh, he's gotta talk to Denethor and Gandalf, first. We could go wait for him in his rooms. Actually, I might just do that." I frowned slightly. "Denethor's not going to be too nice to him, and even if I prepared him ahead of hand for Boromir's death, he's going to be under a lot of stress. On the other hand, he might kick me out in a righteous rage."  
  
"You prepared him ahead of time?" Kari asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"I swear that guy got every drop of Elvish blood Finduilas and Denethor could give him." I replied, shaking my head, and Kari laughed.  
  
"Go talk to him, then. I am going to find Gandalf." she said.  
  
"To ask him about Glorfindel?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"And what if I am?" she asked, looking at me blandly. I shrugged, then grabbed my scarf, put it on, waved good-bye, and left the room. I went straight to Faramir's chambers, and after waving to his guards, went straight into the sitting area to sit and wait for him. A few hours later Faramir came stumbling in, looking worn and tired. I immediately offered myself as a support, and he smiled at me gratefully. So asleep was he that my presence didn't even really register until he was sitting on the edge of his bed, and I was pulling off his boots. When it did, he frowned lightly at me.  
  
"When did you return?" he asked.  
  
"Early this morning. I will speak with you later - for now, you sleep." I said sternly, and Faramir smiled slightly, then nodded, lying down on his bed after I finished with his boots. He threw an arm over his eyes, and with no more movement then that, was asleep. I looked at him in amusement, then shook my head and tsked before setting about removing his tunic and covering him with the blankets on the bed. I removed his dirty clothes and boots from the room, then set out a new set of clothing, complete with boots, and readied his armour, which I knew he'd need.  
  
I finally left his rooms sometime around midnight, giving Faramir a light kiss on the forehead before I went. More than anything, after watching Boromir walk away from me to his death, I wished that I could spare Faramir the coming pain. But I could not. Some things had to happen, and I did not want to wager about what would happen should I mess with the timeline of Middle-Earth. So, with a sigh, I settled down for a brief rest before the coming dawn, and all that it and the coming days held.  
  
----To be continued...with some chicken soup!----  
(And an angry husband!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
I have a deviantART account/profile thingy now...you can find the link in my profile on here. It doesn't have any of the images you've seen from any of my stories, but it does have some other junk I haven't really shown to anyone outside my family or friends.  
  
Anyways. The general consensus seems to be that people would like to see the removed and then re-written pieces of TGotG which I've saved, so once this is all over (which will happen eventually, contrary to the opinion of the big dust bunny under the computer desk, which happily eats my schoolwork while I write on TGotG) I'll post it all as an extra chapter...a really LONG chapter. One of my wrong turns was kinda three chapters long, after all...*cough* *innocent* The rest are shorter, however...and the rest of the chapter that isn't my wrong-turns, which is expalining where the piece came from and why I decided I didn't like it and re-wrote, will be disclaimer-style. So, prepare for insanity on that front.  
  
Yep. That's all from me for now, then...see ya Monday evening/Tuesday!  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	66. Pelennor

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I am like the monkies, and own nothing but my tree and some fruitcake. Some nuts, too. And they're stored in my head. Because that's the safest place. Except that bats seem to get in there somehow...*wanders off*  
  
Glorfindel: ...I don't get it.  
  
Rachel: She's batty and nuts as a fruitcake.  
  
Glorfindel: *blink* Oooh. But what was the part about the monkies and the tree?  
  
Rachel: That was a result of her being batty and nuts as a fruitcake.  
  
Glorfindel: Ah...  
  
Kari: This disclaimer needs some help...  
  
Rachel: Yes, rather boring...most of them lately seem to be that way.  
  
CS: *comes back* Blame the people I know who have been taking me out without giving me sugar, thus making me very very f---ing tired..  
  
-66: Pelennor-  
  
I woke just after dawn - or what would have been dawn, could we have seen the sun - the next morning, and after getting myself up and going, I went to Faramir's room to see if he was up. He wasn't, and he looked absolutely adorable lying there, as fast asleep as a man could get. He was even snoring lightly, something Faramir rarely ever did. I watched him for a moment, grinning, and then set off to see Kari. She proved to be in the city, eating breakfast with Gandalf, and so I sought out my own breakfast, and then Imrahil.  
  
Prince Imrahil, I was informed by one of the servants, was down in the stables. I pondered whether or not to go see him there, and decided that I would only be getting bored up here, anyways. And if the horses were reacting as most of the soldiers were to the occasional screech of the Nazgûl that could be heard from high above, my natural skill with horses might be welcomed. Not like I wouldn't be welcomed anyways, I amended as I received a hearty greeting from Imrahil when I entered the stables.  
  
I spent the early morning with Imrahil, then he was called off to Council, and when I followed him back up to the Citadel, I ran into Kari. She dragged me off to see the Houses of Healing, and from then on the day was a blur. Most of it was spent giving Kari a tour, with a break around noon to see Faramir off - and a depressing break THAT was - and then later we had supper with Denethor. He spent most of the meal talking to Kari, wanting to know all about Elves, and Kari answered his questions as best she could. I noticed that she was infinitely more cautious about exactly what she told him than with Imrahil, though. I honestly couldn't blame her - with Denethor using the palantír, it was safer to assume that anything he knew, Sauron knew.  
  
Certainly, Kari was firm in a refusal to answer when he started asking about anything relating to the defenses of any of the Elvish kingdoms - she claimed it was from a lack of knowledge, but I did not believe she could be married to one of the sons of the Lord of Rivendell and not know about its defenses, at the least. Denethor didn't seem to believe it, either, but after a short staring contest, he gave up on the subject.  
  
The next day was spent with Kari and me wandering the city, stopping and talking to everyone, and in the afternoon, we even went up on the walls. We were trying, of course, to help bolster the men's courage - a pretty face will always help that, especially if one is an Elf. Some of the men wished to speak with me about Boromir, and, though it was like prodding a still-open wound each time, I gave those that asked about Boromir a nice little speech about how he had died to save his kingdom, and if they held true, his death could still not be in vain.  
  
The soldiers still looked dubious about hope remaining, but Kari and I always left them at least a little cheered when we left - even if it was due only to our tendency to act totally oblivious to the fact that we were in the middle of a war zone. We succeeded somewhat, at any rate, as our activities for the day gained us a thanks from Denethor. And then, in the evening, the retreat came.  
  
I was in Kari's room at the time, talking to her, and when I heard the trumpets sound for the calvary of Gondor, I went right to the window and leaned out, looking down to the Pelennor Fields and watching, biting my lip as I did so. I watched as the men came in, and then heard the cries of grief as the men discovered Faramir had been injured. I wasn't aware that I had tears in my eyes, nor that I was biting my lip so hard it was starting to bleed, until I felt Kari's light touch on my arm.  
  
"Rachel?" she asked softly as I turned to face her, hurriedly rubbing my eyes and licking the blood off my lip.  
  
"I'm not sure if I can do this, Kari." I said after a pause, looking down at the floor. "I'm not sure I can let Denethor despair, when I have spent the years since Lady Finduilas' death trying to stop him from doing so. I'm not sure coming back here was such a good idea." I looked up at her, somewhat helplessly, I think, and found myself enveloped in a hug. I hugged back, and we just stood hugging for a moment before I drew away.  
  
"I'm going to go lock myself in my room so I don't do anything stupid." I said with a sigh.  
  
"I have a better idea." Kari said with a smile. "Let's find the best room in the Citadel for watching the Pelennor, and then lock ourselves in there until the siege is broken." I considered this for a moment.  
  
"Sure." I said finally, and she smiled warmly before taking my arm and leading me off out of the room, me giving her directions as to what I uninhabited rooms I thought would have the best view of the Pelennor Fields. And in the hallways, we ran into Imrahil.  
  
"Asira." he looked uncertain and sad. "Have - were you told?"  
  
"About Faramir? No. I did not need to be told." I said sadly, then reached over and gave him a hug. "I will go and see him in the Houses of Healing later."  
  
"Denethor will not let him be taken to the Houses of Healing. He acts as though Faramir is already dead." Imrahil said miserably.  
  
"Faramir will get to the Houses of Healing, and he will survive." I said emphatically. Imrahil gave me a weak smile, obviously thinking I was just trying to be hopeful. I considered letting him continue with that belief for a moment, but as with Sam in Rivendell so long ago, I felt a sudden urge to use my knowledge to reassure someone.  
  
I shook my head strongly. "No, Imrahil, listen to me." I grabbed his chin and forced him to look me in the eyes. "Faramir will live." I said quietly, but strongly, and then smiled slightly. "It has been seen by those who have never yet been wrong." Imrahil blinked in surprise. After a moment, a small smile formed on his lips, and he nodded. Then, with a bow, he turned and sped off down the corridor, his spirit much lighter.  
  
"Ah, that was like chicken soup for my soul." I said with satisfaction, and Kari chuckled.  
  
"I take it you do not want to go find the room with the best view lock yourself in, still, then?" she asked, a teasing look in her eyes.  
  
"First part, yes, last part, no!" I replied with a cheerful grin. "And once we've found the room with the best view, let's go make a nuisance of ourselves at the Houses of Healing. There's got to be something two she-Elves can do there, at least!" Kari laughed, and so we set off to do just that.  
  
There was indeed something for two she-Elves to do in the houses of Healing, even if the healers didn't know I was an Elf. Kari seemed to have picked up some healing while hanging around Elrond and Sons, so I soon found myself following her around as she acted as a healer in her own right, treating the patients with lesser wounds, and leaving the more serious ones to the skilled healers. Several times, however, I found her staring mournfully into the area with the more severely wounded patients.  
  
"The only thing keeping me from depression on their behalf is the knowledge that Elladan and Elrohir will be coming here after the siege to work their magic." Kari said softly to me in Elvish one time, and I nodded, joining her in a moment of sadness, before pulling her back to the patients.  
  
Kari and I retired late that night, and returned to the Houses of Healing the next day. More injured men kept coming in, and even though most of the wounds were small enough that the soldiers could leave once they were treated, the wounds did need treating. We were kept busy the entire day, and we left in the evening with a promise to the healers to return the next day.  
  
We ended out returning earlier, however, as the forces that had surrounded the city that day began their attack at midnight. The noise woke me, and I woke Kari, and we went straight to the Houses of Healing. The little sleep we'd had had already refreshed us, but when we reached the houses, we saw tired healers running around that had been there when we'd left. I quickly pulled what little rank I had and sent two healers to bed, telling them to return only after they'd gotten at least an hour's good sleep, and then got a quick lesson in dealing with minor wounds from Kari before we parted ways and set about dealing with the wounded. And so, before Kari and I knew it, we heard the cockcrow, followed by the horns of the Rohirrim. All movement inside the Houses of Healing stilled for a moment to listen to the horns.  
  
"Rohan is come." I announced to the room at large, and instantly talk sprang up, and the message was passed on to the rest of those in the Houses. I think the soldiers that came in after that were a little surprised to learn that we already knew about Rohan having arrived, but hey. What can I say? I have a flair for the dramatic. I made another such announcement shortly afterwards when the witch-king was killed, eliciting a cheer from those in the Houses, but then I knew that if Kari and I wanted to see Aragorn's arrival, we needed to leave. I excused myself, telling the healers I needed a break, and found Kari. I waited for her to finish treating her current patient, and then brought her with me out of the Houses.  
  
Kari and I sped up the streets towards the Citadel, then tore through it's passageways and up it's stairs, bypassing the room we had picked out in favour of going up to the very top to watch. We arrived panting, and took a few moments to collect ourselves before looking out over the fields. We were just in time to see the Corsair's ships come 'round the bend of the Anduin, and we watched, both smiling, as the cries of the free Men of the West went from triumph, to horror, and then back to triumph, as first the ships were spotted, and then Aragorn's banner.  
  
We meant to return to the Houses of Healing after seeing that, but we became enthralled with watching the battle unfold beneath us, and before we knew it, the day was winding down, and we could see Aragorn, Éomer and Imrahil (or rather, three shining figures who everyone else seemed to make way for) heading for the gates. Kari and I took off again, and raced down to the gates. We arrived, once again breathless, just as Imrahil and Éomer entered the city. Imrahil smiled tiredly when he saw us, while Éomer seemed to barely register our presence. Kari barely paused to say a brief 'hello', and then continued out of the gate. Imrahil arched an eyebrow.  
  
"She is married to one of the Sons of Elrond, who are standing outside the gate." I said with a shrug and a smile, and Imrahil nodded as understanding dawned on him. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by someone roaring my name. I winced.  
  
"And one of which is now going to kill me for bringing his wife here." I said. Imrahil grinned momentarily, gave my shoulder a supportive squeeze, and disappeared with Éomer even as a very angry Elrohir appeared, a frowning Kari following.  
  
"Rachel." Elrohir said, his voice pure ice as he stopped a few inches in front of me, his eyes glittering dangerously. The blood spattered all over him from the battle furthered the impressive sight, and I found myself wishing for the first time since I'd left Lothlórien that Glorfindel was there.  
  
"Elrohir, wonderful to see you." I said uneasily, taking an involuntary step backwards. Elrohir took a step forward to compensate, and continued to glare down at me.  
  
"Elrohir, enough." Kari's exasperated voice cut into the silence that had fallen around us, but Elrohir barely spared her a glance before returning his attention to me.  
  
"You were to go to Lothlórien to make your peace with my wife. NOT to drag her with you into the biggest battle of this Age!" Elrohir practically growled this at me, and I swallowed nervously.  
  
"Um, she came willingly?" I tried. Elrohir's eyes narrowed slightly, and he seemed about to say - or perhaps do - something, but he was abruptly lifted up and dragged away from me by his twin and foster brother. I heaved a sigh of relief.  
  
"Sorry, I should have anticipated that." Kari said with a wince.  
  
"Me too." I replied, also wincing. Then we sighed as one. Kari looked over to where her husband was currently arguing furiously with his brothers.  
  
"I think I am going to have to go talk to him." she said.  
  
"You do that. I'll go back to the Houses of Healing, where I should have stopped in the first place." I said with a wry smile. Kari chuckled, and so she went to her husband, and I to the Houses of Healing.  
  
----To be continued...with a chat with Faramir!----  
(And the wonderful side effects that come from his natural curiosity about Elves and their customs!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Ugh. I got no sleep on Saturday night...and I mean that literally. I went to bed at 9:30 AM on Sunday, after having been awake for over 24 hours. The name 'sleepover' really is incorrect...  
  
Yep. All you reviewers are munderful, please keep it up, I enjoy reading your reviews muchly.  
  
See ya Thursday evening/Friday!  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	67. Revelation

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Right, well, today we have an actually rather under-appreciated Elf to do the disclaimer. I mean hey, just because Peter Jackson made him say his ONE line as slow as possible just so people would actually notice him behind Galadriel doesn't mean he isn't a powerful drool-worthy Elf-lord...  
  
Celeborn: Ah...thanks?  
  
Rachel: And anyways, he likes shiny stuff, so he's cool.  
  
Celeborn: Er...Galadriel won't be reading this, will she?  
  
CS: You kidding? She can't even understand English! I borrowed a dyheli or two from Mercedes Lackey and made sure.  
  
Celeborn: Right then. Crimson Starlight owns no -  
  
The Noble Platypus: *appears and pulls a butterfly net down over Celeborn's head* I caught one! I caught one! My vewy own ewflord!  
  
CS: Er...  
  
Rachel: *yelling* Glorfindel, get over here!  
  
Glorfindel: *appears* what?  
  
The Noble Platypus: *eyes light up and she pulls the net off Celeborn's head to go chasing after Glorfindel*  
  
Glorfindel: Meep! *runs*  
  
The Noble Platypus: *follows*  
  
CS, Rachel and Celeborn: ...  
  
Rachel: Right.  
  
CS: You were saying, Celeborn?  
  
Celeborn: Crimson Starlight owns nothing...  
  
(CS: Sometimes I wonder if my reviewers are funnier than I am...This disclaimer brought to you by The Noble Platypus' last review.)  
  
-67: Revelation-  
  
The next few days were a blur of activity. As far as I knew, everything went according to the books - I really couldn't tell, as even my rudimentary healing skills were in strong demand. Elladan and Elrohir's, along with most of the Rangers, were in even greater demand. More than once during the day I found myself pulling tired Rangers away from injured men and ordering them to get some sleep, and I almost had to knock Elladan out once to get him to go rest. That little occurrence had an excellent side effect, of course, as when the tale of it spread, Rangers were suddenly a lot quicker to obey when I told them to go get some sleep. They gradually realized, anyways, that when I said 'sleep', I didn't mean a full 12-hour night - two or three hours were enough to satisfy.  
  
On the night of the 17th, though, the night before the Host of the West - or so the conglomerated armies of Rohan, Gondor, Dol Amroth, and the Northern rangers was being called - I kicked both Kari and Elrohir out and told them that if I saw them before sunrise, I would Elladan AND Haldir to help me never EVER let them live it down. Kari nodded vigorously at that, and then dragged a confused Elrohir off. As they left, I heard Elrohir innocently inquire as to why that was such a horrible threat, and grinned.  
  
Eventually, however, the flood of wounded men that needed care subsided, and on the 21st, Kari and I found ourselves with nothing to do. It was then, of course, that I realized I had yet to visit Faramir or Merry, or meet Éowyn. Well, we were already at the Houses of Healing, so I shrugged and dragged Kari off to meet Faramir.  
  
"Asira!" Faramir said happily as I entered. I quickly scampered over to his bed, where he was sitting reading, and gave him a hug.  
  
"How are ya?" I asked him.  
  
"The healers inform me I am fine, and that I just need rest." he said calmly. I arched an eyebrow. "I'm bored." he supplied with a shrug. "I am able to get up and walk about, and read books and such things, but they let me do nothing else."  
  
"Well, I brought you a new toy - er, friend." I said with a grin, and then motioned for Kari to come forward. "Faramir, did you happen to meet the Sons of Elrond while they were buzzing around in here?" He nodded.  
  
"I did not get a chance to speak with them, though." he said somewhat mournfully. "I have long wanted to meet one of the Fair Folk."  
  
"Well, meet Lord Elrohir's wife, Lady Alkarisil of Rivendell. My friend, as it happens." I smiled broadly, and Faramir's eyes widened as Kari curtseyed lightly to him, also smiling. Then he scrambled up and made a hasty bow. Kari snorted.  
  
"There is most definitely not any need for that, my lord." she said, and smiled again at Faramir's surprised expression. "And anyways, if the truth be told, you have known one of the Fair Folk all your life." The words were out of Kari's mouth before I could stop her, and all I could do afterwards was whack her as Faramir looked on in confusion.  
  
"I was going to wait until I could explain to EVERYONE." I grumbled, shooting her a glare, and she smiled innocently.  
  
"Asira, your friend is most confusing. As are you at the moment." Faramir said with obvious confusion, breaking the moment.  
  
"Everything in the world is confusing at the moment!" I said, throwing my hands up in the air. "It's what happens when Kings return, Elves make friends with Dwarves, and Dark Lords get a bunch of upstart goodytooshoo's blowing raspberries in their faces. Or eye." Faramir blinked.  
  
"Now you are just babbling." he said.  
  
"Actually, I'm making perfect sense." I said smoothly, and then brightened. "But anyways. I was going to go check up on Merry, and then Kari and I were going to go introduce ourselves to Éowyn. While I visit with Merry, though, feel free to pester Kari with questions!" With a wave, I dashed out of the room. It took me only a brief search to find Merry, and he was quite happy to see me. I spent several minutes visiting with him, and then returned to Kari and Faramir to find them talking animatedly.  
  
"Shall we go meet Éowyn?" I asked Kari.  
  
"Oh, she will be here for awhile yet, will she not?" Kari asked, and I nodded. "Then we can meet her later. I'm having far too much fun here." Faramir, I noticed with a grin, blushed.  
  
"Right then." I said. "May I join in the fun?" Kari and Faramir nodded as one, and so I sat down and added my own commentary to Kari and Faramir's conversation. It seemed to be mostly about the Elven Kingdoms - a rather lengthy topic - and when it started to slide towards Elvish customs - another lengthy topic - I suggested we get a meal and go out to the gardens. Kari and Faramir readily agreed.  
  
"So tell me about Elvish courting." the prompt for Kari from Faramir came after a wonderful lunch out in the gardens, which had been mostly silent, as talking is hungry work. I instantly focused my attention on Kari, as I recalled my intention to ask Kari the same question myself. Before.  
  
"Well, I do not think it is that much different from human courting," Kari said, glancing towards me as if looking for confirmation, but I just shrugged. "But one thing at least, I know is different - there is absolutely no such thing as lovers among Elves. You're either married, single, or courting, only one of which involves sharing a bed with someone of the opposite gender." I stilled immediately at those words, and Kari's amused glance my way added a silent 'unless you are Rachel and Glorfindel'. I wasn't surprised at that statement - I'd thought as much - but something about the way she'd phrased it made a shiver go down my spine, and my stomach started to feel a little squirmy as Faramir spoke up again.  
  
"Is it true, then, that Elves have such control over their emotions that they are able to contain their lust until marriage?" he asked curiously. I absently noticed that Faramir apparently had developed no sense of shame before focusing on Kari's answer with a sort of one-mindedness that would have been scary had I stopped to think about it.  
  
"We have to." Kari said with a small smile. "For, though there is much ceremony surrounding an Elvish wedding, it all comes down to nothing but just ceremony in the end. For Elves, the unbreakable bond of marriage is made when they mate for the first time, as we do not only mate in body, but in spirit. It is the physical act of what you would call consummating a marriage that actually forms it for us."  
  
"How interesting. So - Asira, are you all right?" I barely heard Faramir's question as I stared at Kari with wide eyes. I felt as if I had been punched and was going to throw up. Suddenly, Glorfindel's words and disappearance that night made a horrible, horrifying sense.  
  
"Asira?" Kari was resting an arm on my shoulder, and looking at me worriedly. "Rachel?" I licked my lips and parted them slightly, intending to say something, anything, but nothing came to mind, for all that my mind was a jumble of half-finished thoughts - except for Kari's words, which seemed to have been stamped into my brain, and blazed at me. 'For Elves, the unbreakable bond of marriage is made when they mate for the first time, as we do not only mate in body, but in spirit.' In other words, I had tried to seduce Glorfindel into marrying me that night. No wonder he had left.  
  
"Rachel, what's wrong?" Kari's voice now held an edge of panic, and I focused on her, and the worried face of Faramir behind her, for a moment. I swallowed, and forced myself to say something.  
  
"Bloody hell I'm an idiot." I said hoarsely, then stood and took off out of the gardens and back to my room in the citadel at top speed. I heard Kari and Faramir call out after me, but I ignored them.  
  
I collapsed onto my bed when I reached my room, feeling an ache in my chest. Kari's words ran through my head again, and I curled into a ball and whimpered. No wonder Glorfindel had left. He probably hated me - thought I had tried to use him. The thought made me start to cry, and it didn't take long after that for my mental coherence to fail entirely, and so I just lay on my bed, curled into a ball, and wept.  
  
---  
  
Kari watched anxiously as the Host of the Men of the West approached the gate, glancing over at her companion worriedly. Rachel looked as dim and unresponsive as she had when they had left the Citadel that morning. Kari had to admit, she was beyond worried for her friend at this point - ever since that conversation in the garden with Faramir, Rachel had spoken no more than three words together, and had become grey and depressed. Kari couldn't even find out what was wrong - neither could Faramir, though he'd tried as many times as Kari - and they were both hoping Elrohir or Elladan would be able to. And from there, Kari constantly assured herself, it was only a short step to a solution. After all, half the solution is finding the cause.  
  
But no matter how many times she told herself and Faramir that, Kari could not believe it. Rachel had not even twitched when Kari had informed her of Elrohir's request that the two of them come to Ithilien, instead of waiting in the Minas Tirith for Aragorn to come and be crowned. Kari had wanted to go, but she was not about to leave Rachel in Minas Tirith, and Rachel would not leave her room. The fact that she had agreed to come to the walls today to watch Aragorn's coronation was a miracle in and of itself, the result of a solid month of pleading.  
  
All these worries flashed through Kari's head as she watched the ceremony on the field in front of the city, and she felt herself becoming tenser by the minute, despite the soothing thoughts that her husband sent her way. Finally, the ceremony was over, and Aragorn and his men entered the city. Kari dragged Rachel down to the parade way, feeling as if she was hauling a sack of potatoes behind her, and was able to quickly reach the front, as people recognized her and made way, some of the older ones smiling at her apparent eagerness to reach her husband.  
  
In truth, she was eager and happy to see him again - even 800 years had not dulled the thrill and joy of loving, and being loved by, Elrohir. But at this particular moment, she was more worried about Rachel. And so were Elrohir and Elladan when they spotted her.  
  
Elrohir jumped off his horse when Kari first came to the head of the crowd, a happy, and only somewhat worried, smile on his face as he strode over to her. Then Rachel came into view behind Kari, and he froze. A moment later, Elladan had dismounted as well, and they both stood on either side of Rachel, concern etched on their faces. Rachel looked slowly up at each of them, then seemed to mentally dismiss them and returned to her unresponsive state. Kari looked pleadingly up at Elrohir.  
  
"Let us get her somewhere private, and then speak." he said, sounding troubled, and swept Kari up onto his horse with him, holding her in front of him, Elladan doing the same with Rachel. With an apology to Aragorn, they cantered off ahead of him and into the Citadel. No comment was made then, or ever after, about the breach of protocol - besides the fact that Elrohir and Elladan were Elven Lords and Aragorn's foster brothers, the news of the Lady Asira's strange illness had spread throughout the City.  
  
"What happened to her?" Elrohir asked Kari worriedly once the four had entered Rachel's quarters. Elladan, still carrying Rachel from the ride, set her down, and she strolled over to her bed, where she immediately laid down and closed her eyes, looking for all the world as if she was asleep.  
  
"I do not know!" Kari practically wailed. "I do not even know what is wrong with her! I was hoping you could tell me." Elladan and Elrohir exchanged glances, then Elrohir walked over to Kari and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She looked up at him hopefully, and he winced slightly.  
  
"She is fading." he said softly.  
  
----To be continued...with Glorfindel!----  
(And a horse with an attitude!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
My apologies for the cliff hanger, but otherwise this chapter would be monstrously long...and besides, this story has had far too few cliff hangers in it. Still, I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter...though I bet it was a mixture of 'finally!' and 'nooooo!' for most of you. Dun worry, though, I'm not suicidal...Rachel ain't out of it QUITE yet. After all, that would just suck if Glorfindel got to Minas Tirith and found Rachel dead.  
  
Yep, so, I'll see you Sunday evening/Monday with the next chapter!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	68. Fading

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
Before we get to the disclaimer...Glorfindel's on the character list for the 'Lord of the Rings' section now! WOOHOO!  
  
And now we will have the actual chapter...  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
  
Rachel: Hey, look, another disclaimer!  
  
CS: *continues what she was doing*  
  
Rachel: Damn, hoped that might make her stop.  
  
Kari: Nothing'll make her stop. She's on a mission of vengeance.  
  
Rachel: A mission of vengeance? By running in random polygons?!  
  
Kari: *nod* She's running in random polygons at the sky because it decided to precipitate on her when she brought her art folder home from school, thereby getting the PAPER folder wet.  
  
Rachel: Precipitate? Wouldn't it be easier to say that it rained?  
  
CS: Indubitably. *continues running in random polygons at the sky while muttering about how fun it is to say 'indubitably'*  
  
Rachel: *blink* So why don't you say that 'it rained' instead of 'it precipitated'?  
  
Kari: Because it didn't just rain. There was freezing rain, rain, hail and snow during the twenty minute walk.  
  
Rachel: O.o Odd weather.  
  
CS: Welcome to the prairies. I own nothing, by the way. Not even random polygons. *continues running in random polygons*  
  
(This disclaimer brought to you by the large bag of Starbursts that Crimson Starlight consumed this afternoon all by herself)  
  
-68: Fading-  
  
Kari sat down with a thump, staring at Elrohir in shock.  
  
"What?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.  
  
"Rachel is fading." Elladan repeated for his twin, who now knelt next to his wife, once again wrapping an arm around her shoulders and drawing her closer to him.  
  
"But...why?" Kari asked in a daze. Elladan shrugged.  
  
"What has happened recently that would cause her grief?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing...nothing at all!" Kari replied dejectedly. "She, Faramir and I were just talking in the gardens of the Houses of Healing, and then suddenly she got quiet and pale, said she was an idiot, and ran off up to her room. She has been like this ever since!"  
  
"What were you speaking about?" Elladan asked with a frown.  
  
"Courting customs of Elves! Faramir was curious, and I got talking about -" Kari's eyes widened as she abruptly stopped talking, and then, after a moment, she said, very quietly, "Oh." Elladan and Elrohir looked at her curiously.  
  
"Kari?" Elrohir asked as his wife continued to stare at Rachel where she lay on her bed. She remained still, and Elrohir might have been worried, but Kari had the look and feel of one thinking hard, so hard she'd forgotten her surroundings. Her mind felt as if it was abuzz, and thoughts and emotions flickered through her eyes. Eventually, she looked up at them.  
  
"Where's Glorfindel?" she asked. The question caught the twins off guard, and they looked at her in surprise.  
  
"Rivendell, I imagine." Elrohir said finally.  
  
"He was supposed to be the head of Arwen's escort, should Frodo succeed and Aragorn claim the throne." Elladan supplied.  
  
"And that means he won't get here until mid-summer. Crap." Kari rose and started pacing, glancing irritably about the room.  
  
"Kari? What does Glorfindel have to do with Rachel?" Elladan asked in confusion after a moment. Kari glanced over at him in surprise for a moment, and then shook herself.  
  
"I'm sorry; I forgot you would not know. Rachel and Glorfindel...became romantically involved while in Lothlórien. He was actually supposed to accompany us when we left to come here." Kari paused and frowned slightly before continuing, "But the night before we were to leave, something happened. Rachel claimed at first that a messenger had come in from Rivendell and Glorfindel needed to take care of some business and would catch up with us later - but when he didn't show up, I confronted her about it, and she admitted that she and Glorfindel got into a fight. So we left a little early, and without Glorfindel.  
  
"I think she expected him to come running after her when he discovered she was gone, or maybe she just had not - no, I'm betting she expected him to follow. At any rate, a messenger from Rivendell apparently actually DID come in shortly after we left. Gandalf said that Glorfindel and the messenger were just leaving Lothlórien, heading north towards Rivendell, when Gwaihir flew him in. So Glorfindel didn't follow." Kari stopped and frowned at Rachel.  
  
"And how does this connect to Rachel fading?" Elladan asked, still sounding confused.  
  
"That was Rachel's tale about what happened, with additions from Gandalf." Kari said thoughtfully. "I do not think it is the absolute truth, however. You two know of Rachel's and my true origins?"  
  
"Rachel has told us that she comes from a different world, yes." Elrohir said, and then looked intently at his wife. "You come from there as well, then? And have read the books Rachel has spoken of?" Kari nodded. "I had suspected as much, though both you and Rachel have hedged around ever outright telling me so." Kari smiled faintly, reminding herself to thank Rachel later for not telling Elrohir about her coming from another world. She had rather suspected that Elrohir already knew, however - she had babbled quite a bit after Rachel's apparent 'suicide', and Elrohir had stayed by her side for most of that time.  
  
"There were no Elves in the world we came from, and therefore, no extensive knowledge about Elvish customs." Kari began pacing once again. "And Rachel, having fled only a few days after our arrival and spent most of the intervening years among humans, would not have had the opportunity to learn of them, as I have." Kari said. "This, then, is what I think happened:  
  
"I received word from Haldir the afternoon before we left that Rachel seemed to have collapsed from grief in the forest. Boromir, who Rachel was close to, had just left, and since I knew, as well as she did, that he was doomed to die a few days later, I assumed that this was due to the realization hitting Rachel that he was shortly going to be gone. Rachel tends to have delayed reactions to death." Kari smiled wryly for a moment before continuing.  
  
"At any rate, Haldir said that Glorfindel had been fetched, so I let it be, knowing of their relationship. And this..." Kari paused. "This is where it gets a little difficult to understand. Where Rachel and I come from, the sort of morals and values you uphold as a matter of course are, by and large, thought of as somewhat old-fashioned and prudish. In fact, most of those women here in Middle-Earth who you might label sluts or whores would be considered conservative where we come from." Kari was back to pacing.  
  
"It is this rather...loose atmosphere that has led to some rather - err - interesting customs. Or events. I will not go into detail about them, as they would probably break your brains, if you could ever manage to understand them at all. The one I think that is at fault here, however, is something that would politely be called 'comfort sex'." Elladan and Elrohir made startled noises at the same time, looking at Kari in surprise. She smiled back at them wryly. "It's less politely known as 'funeral sex'." Both twins twitched, and Kari grinned at having found something that they both thought went too far.  
  
"You must understand, Rachel has never been loose with her affections. I was far worse than her, actually." Kari continued. Elrohir looked a little surprised at that revelation, but said nothing. "And also...Rachel can be extremely emotional at times, when something touches her deeply. Normally, there is some thought involved with her actions, though it might not seem like it. But once and awhile, something will touch her core, and she will get very emotional and unpredictable, especially if it's a negative emotion like grief. She might try and hold it in, but if there is comfort offered, she'll be there like a fly to honey." Kari said. There was silence for a moment.  
  
"So you think that Rachel might have..." Elrohir trailed off, looking over at the - for all intensive purposes - unconscious Elf on the bed. Kari nodded.  
  
"Glorfindel probably left, either not wanting to bond with her, or not bond with her at that time." she said. "Rachel most likely took it as an insult, and thus we left Lothlórien without Glorfindel."  
  
"And when Rachel found out the truth of the matter, she realized the mistake and figured that Glorfindel probably despises her because of what she tried to do." Elrohir finished for his wife. There was absolute silence in the room as the twins and Kari looked at each other.  
  
"We need to go get Glorfindel." Elladan said finally, softly. "He is the only one with a chance of helping Rachel."  
  
"Yes..." Kari said thoughtfully. "But you two can't break from the chain of events." Kari frowned, staring at Rachel. Silence fell again as Elrohir and Elladan looked at Kari in confusion, wondering what she was talking about but unwilling to break into her thoughts. Then, abruptly, Kari let out an irritated sigh. "Dammit, Rachel's the one who knows all the dates! I can't do this!" Kari growled. "Bah. Alright, this is what we'll do. ONE of you is going to go find Glorfindel and tell him to get his ass over here. The other one is going to stay here and pretend nothing is wrong. Hopefully, that way nothing will get messed up too badly." Elrohir arched an eyebrow, and then looked at Elladan.  
  
"Going!" Elladan replied, and dashed out of the room.  
  
"Right." Kari said with an emphatic nod, then suddenly sagged, as if her energy had left her, and Elrohir quickly rushed over and lifted her into his arms.  
  
"Have you been watching over Rachel by yourself?" he asked his wife with concern. She shook her head weakly.  
  
"Faramir helped." she said.  
  
"But he has duties as a Steward, and so you did most of the watching." Elrohir filled in the unspoken part, pursing his lips in slight annoyance. Then he sighed. "It is off to bed with you, then."  
  
"But Rachel -" Kari started, and Elrohir cut her off with a kiss.  
  
"I shall look after Rachel once you are safely put to bed." he said softly. Kari nodded meekly, and let herself be carried off to her room. She was already asleep when her husband tucked her into bed.  
  
---  
  
"Leaving already?" Elladan whirled at the curious question, and then chuckled to himself as he saw it was only Mithrandir.  
  
"Yes, there is an urgent message I must take to Rivendell - or Lothlórien. Wherever Lord Glorfindel is, actually." Elladan said, returning his attention to brushing down his horse in preparation to go out and get dirty and tired. (Also known as going on another journey.)  
  
"This message is about Rachel?" Mithrandir inquired, and Elladan nodded. "Ah." There was a moment's pause, and then the Maia whistled, bringing Shadowfax from his stall - which had been left open out of respect for the Mearas' intelligence - at a trot. Elladan watched curiously out of the corner of his eye as the wizard spoke quietly to the Chief of Horses.  
  
Just as Elladan was about to go fetch his horses saddle, Shadowfax's head shot up and he let out a whinny that sounded very indignant. The Mearas pranced in place for a moment, then made to bite Mithrandir, but the wizard just dodged and chuckled. The Chief of Horses then, to Elladan's great surprise, turned his attention to Elladan and his horse. A few brief whinnies, and Elladan's horse calmly trotted back to its stall all by itself. Elladan stared after it, then over at Shadowfax.  
  
"I WAS going to ride him, you know." he commented. Shadowfax let out another indignant whinny, then walked over to Elladan and butted him in the chest. The Peredhil staggered back a step, then looked up at Shadowfax, and over to Mithrandir, in confusion.  
  
"Do you not wish me to go?" he queried. Mithrandir chuckled.  
  
"No, my dear boy." he said. "On the contrary. I want you to get there as fast as possible. Therefore I have asked Shadowfax to bear you. Lord Glorfindel can return on him, and with the speed Shadowfax can travel, he might just reach here before Rachel fades." Elladan blinked, and latched onto the first thing that sunk in.  
  
"How did you know Rachel is fading?" he asked.  
  
"I'm a wizard." Mithrandir said with a grin, then sobered, "And it was not difficult to tell, even from the brief glimpse I had of her before you and your brother whisked her away."  
  
"Oh." Elladan said. There was a moment of stillness, and then Elladan glanced over at Shadowfax. "Sooo...I get to ride you?" Shadowfax let out a snort and butted Elladan's shoulder. Elladan smiled somewhat sarcastically. "My apologies. You shall be letting me hang onto your back as you run pell-mell across two, possibly three, kingdoms?" Shadowfax neighed agreement and pranced around a bit. "And I suppose this means I shall have to put all my stuff in a pack and carry it myself."  
  
"Of course." Mithrandir said, and Elladan let out a dejected sigh. Mithrandir chuckled. "Come now, Elladan, think of it as a new experience. One of few, I'm sure, that are left to you, since you have been so busy and adventurous for the past 3000 years." Elladan eyed the wizard, wondering whether to take that as a compliment or an insult, and ended out deciding that it would probably be better to just take it as it was given, and let it lie.  
  
"Well then, give me a few moments to repack my things and we shall be on our way." Elladan said, bowing slightly to Shadowfax, and then went off to hunt down a backpack and see about arranging his few things from his saddlebags in it. Less than an hour later, he returned, and moments after that, he was speeding away over the Pelennor Fields at what was, even to him, a very frightening speed.  
  
---  
  
In the end, Elladan and Shadowfax almost ran past Arwen and her escort, who were on their way to Lothlórien from Rivendell. Elladan and Shadowfax had stopped briefly in Lothlórien, surprising Galadriel and Celeborn immensely, but when they found that the escort had not yet reached the Golden Wood, they stayed only long enough to eat before heading off again. The next day, it was around noon when Elladan spotted the escort off to the west, and by the time he had gotten that information through to Shadowfax, the Mearas had to turn around and run south again, as well as west, to meet up with the column.  
  
Elrond and Arwen, not to mention Glorfindel, were heartily surprised to have a Mearas gallop up to meet them as they calmly made their way to Lothlórien. But they all went into shock for a few moments when they realized who was ON the Mearas. Then Arwen groaned lightly, knowing Elladan would never let her or Elrohir forget that he had gotten to ride the Chief of all Horses, and they hadn't. The groan broke the spell of surprise, and Elladan jumped cheerfully down off of Shadowfax, being sure to thank the horse, before going to greet his father and sister, who had also dismounted.  
  
"Greetings, Elladan!" Elrond said, and the greeting was returned enthusiastically by his son. Arwen said hello, as well, and then Elrond spoke up again. "What are you doing here? We did not expect to see either you or your brother until we at least reached Lothlórien."   
  
"I have a message to deliver." Elladan replied, sobering suddenly. "Nothing to do with Aragorn, or you, or anyone actually related to us by blood." Elladan amended when he saw the fearful look cross his sister's face. "In fact, it's not even TO either of you!" he said cheerfully. Elrond arched an eyebrow at his son.  
  
"Then, since this message appears to have been urgent enough to warrant its deliverer being carried by Shadowfax, I suggest you find the one who it IS to, and deliver it." he said pointedly. Elladan grinned momentarily, then sobered again, and looked past his father and sister to where Glorfindel still sat on Asfaloth.  
  
"Lord Glorfindel, may I speak with you a moment away from the others?" Elladan called politely to the elder Elf. Glorfindel looked somewhat surprised, but nodded and dismounted. He came over to Elladan, who then led him off behind Shadowfax, shielding them from the view of the rest of the column. Once they were there, Elladan simply stood silent for a moment, seeming to consider his message, and Glorfindel arched an eyebrow.  
  
"I believe you wished to speak with me, not attempt to imitate your father?" the Balrog-slayer said after a moment, and Elladan smiled slightly.  
  
"Sorry, I was just trying to figure out how to phrase what needs to be said." he said.  
  
"To the point would work nicely." Glorfindel said dryly. "We wish to camp within sight of Lothlórien tonight, and we will not be able to do so if you hold us up for an hour with your ramblings."  
  
"This is not the sort of thing to say bluntly, but if you wish it." Elladan said with a shrug, then looked Glorfindel in the eyes and said quietly. "Rachel is fading." Glorfindel blinked.  
  
"What?" he asked, obviously thinking he had misheard - never mind that he had most likely never misheard anything in his entire life.  
  
"Rachel is fading." Elladan repeated. Glorfindel looked at him with a stunned expression. That, more than anything, confirmed for Elladan what Kari had said.  
  
"Why?" Glorfindel finally managed to ask, sounding somewhat strangled.  
  
"We - Kari, Elrohir and I - are not quite sure. Kari believes that Rachel might think you despise her." Elladan said after a pause.  
  
"Why?" Glorfindel asked again, this time in confusion.  
  
"Well...due to the curiosity of a certain, unnamed Steward of Gondor, Rachel found out about Elvish courting and marriage, and-" Elladan was cut of by an impressive stream of swears from Glorfindel.  
  
"How long ago did this happen?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"I am unsure of the exact date, but I believe it was just over a month ago." Elladan replied.  
  
"And none of you thought to come get me before now?" Glorfindel's voice was dangerously low, and Elladan swallowed, suddenly feeling admiration for the Balrog that had stood up to the Elf-lord before him.  
  
"Kari was not sure of what was ailing Rachel, at first - she does not have experience with fading, except for with mother, and then it was blatantly obvious why she was fading. Rachel has barely spoken since she started fading, and she did not tell Kari the truth about whatever falling out you two had before the two of them left Lothlórien." the Peredhil explained hastily, barely having the presence of mind not to blurt out Kari's theory about what Rachel and Glorfindel's 'falling out' was.  
  
The thought 'please don't kill me' ran through Elladan's head several times as the Balrog-slayer continued to glare down at him, and then the Elf-lord's anger drained away, to be replaced with a very uneasy look. Elladan wondered at the change, and then saw Glorfindel glance over Shadowfax's back at the rest of the column. The Peredhil sighed.  
  
"You had better be thinking about taking Asfaloth and heading off for Minas Tirith at top speed." he said.  
  
"I cannot leave the escort without a commander." Glorfindel said, sounding very torn.  
  
"I think my father would agree that saving Rachel from fading is more important than commanding an escort, hm?" Elladan said impatiently. "I can command the escort as well as you. Take Shadowfax and go to Minas Tirith." Glorfindel blinked.  
  
"Take Shadowfax?" he asked. Shadowfax, who had apparently been listening to the entire conversation, whickered in confirmation, giving Glorfindel's shoulder a nudge.  
  
"No other horse will get you there in time." Elladan said flatly, once more looking Glorfindel in the eyes. Glorfindel hesitated for only a second more, then leaped up onto Shadowfax, and Elladan barely had time to step back before the Mearas took off at a gallop again. Elladan was left coughing in the dust. When it cleared, he looked up to find his father watching him expectantly.  
  
"It appears I am to be in charge of the escort now!" he said cheerfully. There was a pause.  
  
"Indeed." said Elrond, arching an eyebrow.  
  
----To be continued...with Glorfindel and Rachel's reunion!----  
(And one REALLY confused King of Gondor!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Y'know, it's kind of funny that all you out in reviewer-land (*waves* Hi, what's up?) were madder about the cliff-hanger than the whole Glorfindel/Rachel split up...I mean, I got more death threats for writing a cliff-hanger than I did for splitting the main couple of the story up! I find that...odd. Understandable, but odd...  
  
Yes. I saw 'Deep Impact' today. Elijah Wood is such an almost unbearable cutie sometimes. Not when he's three feet high with big hairy feet and a lot of angst, though. (Hobbit fans, please don't kill me...I do have an appreciation for hobbits in me - but mostly for Pippin.)  
  
Anyways. Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers. Even if you do send me death threats for leaving you hanging, your reviews are appreciated. They let me know that people are out there reading this story (sometimes, scarily, all the way through in as close to one sitting as one can get) and that they, sometimes, appreciate it.  
  
And with that, I'll see ya Wednesday evening/Thursday! Possibly even before then with some revisions of a few earlier chapters that I've been intending to do for awhile now!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	69. Puzzles REVISED

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: *randomly glomping onto Glorfindel* I shall call him teddy, and he shall be mine, and he shall be my teddy!  
  
Glorfindel: Er...y'might want to get off me before Rachel shows up.  
  
CS: Quiet, teddy! You are mine, and nothing anyone says can change that!  
  
Rachel: *appears, sees CS glomping Glorfindel, and growls*  
  
CS: *jumps off Glorfindel* Growls, on the other hand...  
  
Rachel: *Wraps Glorfindel in a possessive hug, all the while glaring at CS*  
  
Glorfindel: *sigh* It was a pathetic attempt to try to lay claim to any part of Lord of the Rings, anyways.  
  
CS: Yeah...s'pose it was...'specially since I don't own any of it as it is, and really have no right to any of it, so any claim I make otherwise is entirely untrue, yes?  
  
Glorfindel: Yes.  
  
-69: Puzzles-  
  
Glorfindel's mind was whirling as Shadowfax galloped across the countryside, headed for Minas Tirith. Elrond was his lord, and when he had sent that message requesting Glorfindel return to Rivendell, Glorfindel's sense of duty and loyalty had demanded that he obey. And in a way, he was glad he had. For it was two days into the journey that he started thinking, instead of fuming, over his last encounter with Rachel.  
  
It had hit him, just before he stopped for the night, that it was rather likely - no, VERY likely - that Rachel did not know what Elvish marriage consisted of. Kari and Rachel both seemed to see him as someone they could speak with freely about their home, and he had picked up many things over the years since the two had shot out of the river at him. One of the things he had picked up was that, while Rachel and Kari might have extensive knowledge of certain events in Middle-Earth, they seemed to have very limited knowledge of anything else. Kari had much more than Rachel, but even she seemed at a complete loss sometimes. More than once, Kari had appeared at Glorfindel's study, looking completely confused, and had proceeded to ask him about something that was so common-place that he rarely thought about it anymore. So it was not hard to connect the dots and realize that Rachel had not known exactly what the consequences of her actions would be.  
  
It was also not hard to mesh that realization with Rachel's personality and a human outlook on the events of that night, and come to the conclusion that Rachel would most likely be Very Mad. And when Glorfindel had realized that, he had decided that perhaps another good thing had come out of Elrond's order to return to Rivendell. The extra time would give Rachel a chance to calm down - which, by all of Kari's accounts, was a good thing, since Kari's theory of Rachel's initial fearlessness when faced with Glorfindel back when she and Elladan had galloped into Rivendell was that Rachel found it hard to be scared of someone who was less scarier than her when mad.  
  
Yet Glorfindel had known that he needed to be the one to speak with Rachel about what had happened, even if he was (strangely enough) scared of her wrath. Because as soon as he had realized that Rachel would be angry, he had also realized the other ways his walking out of the flet - his flet - could be taken. And from his knowledge of Rachel, he knew that she would most likely take the one that included the worst image of her - which she apparently had - and would probably run away from him.  
  
But the possibility of her fading had not even crossed his mind, and the possibility of her doing so now shook Glorfindel to his very soul. He realized, as Shadowfax sped towards Minas Tirith, that he was not entirely sure if he would survive if Rachel faded. True, he had known Rachel for less than a year, total, but a deep connection had formed that he could not deny. He had actually been considering asking her to marry him when Sauron was defeated. Or once they were safely in Valinor, protected from the wrath of a victorious Sauron by the Valar, if it had come to that.  
  
Things, however, had happened. As they usually did when Rachel was anywhere around. And now he was not even sure if Rachel would live, though Sauron was gone forever.  
  
---  
  
It was a sharp-sighted guard that spotted the silver gleam of Shadowfax as he sped back to the city, and sent word to the King. Aragorn, who was slowly getting more and more curious as to why any Elf who entered Minas Tirith seemed to suddenly become worried and do unpredictable things - like ride off on the Chief of Horses the day after they'd arrived - decided that he would meet this new arrival in the courtyard of the Citadel.  
  
The king had already tried to ask Kari about what was going on - as well as Elrohir, before he'd left - but neither seemed inclined to give Aragorn an explanation. They just made some vague comments and dashed off, apparently disappearing into the bowels of the Citadel; and with Aragorn's limited knowledge of the Citadel's layout, he was unable to find them. Especially since it seemed they were being aided in whatever they were doing by Faramir.  
  
So now Aragorn waited in the Citadel's courtyard as he waited for Shadowfax to climb up the roads of the White City. The king wasn't in the least surprised that, once Shadowfax's hoof-falls were audible to his ears, Kari suddenly appeared in the courtyard. She stood behind Aragorn out of deference, but that didn't stop Aragorn from gauging her mood. The few minutes in the courtyard were the longest he'd been in the company of his foster brother's wife since he had been crowned, and he was disturbed to find that not only did she seem unusually worried, but dead tired. There was also, Aragorn realized as Shadowfax entered the gates, and underlying strain of controlled panic in Kari's manner.  
  
Aragorn, however, forgot completely about Kari as Shadowfax slowed to a stop in front of him, and Lord Glorfindel leaped off gracefully. He looked worn and tired, as if he had been traveling for days straight, and Aragorn wondered when the last time was that the Elf had eaten.  
  
"Your Majesty." Glorfindel said smoothly, bowing deeply to Aragorn. Aragorn arched an eyebrow as the Elf-lord straightened.  
  
"Lord Glorfindel. This is very much a surprise." Aragorn replied.  
  
"So are most things in life." Glorfindel replied, then bowed lightly again, and Aragorn saw that Kari had stepped forward. "Alkarisil."  
  
"Glorfindel." Kari replied, and then turned to Aragorn, putting a hand lightly on his arm. "I know you want answers, Estel, and you shall get them. But for now, time is of the essence, and if you delay us with pleasantries or explanations - both of which would be long - a soul may leave this world and find its way to Mandos' Halls." With that, Kari took Glorfindel's arm and the two set off at a brisk walk - almost a run - into the Citadel.  
  
Aragorn looked after them thoughtfully for a time, and then his thoughts were broken by a nudge to his shoulder, and he turned to find Shadowfax looking at him impatiently. Aragorn eyed the Mearas with amusement, and was just considering taking the horse down to the stables himself to see it settled - because he doubted he would be able to focus on anything with this puzzle tickling his mind - when Gandalf appeared.  
  
"So you're finally back, eh, sluggard?" the wizard asked the horse with a light scowl. Shadowfax whinnied indignantly, and snapped at Gandalf. Gandalf chuckled, stroking the Mearas' muzzle. "Let's go get you cleaned up and fed, then." he said, and set off, Shadowfax trailing behind, without a glance to Aragorn. Aragorn twitched, and suddenly decided that it was a very good thing he had a Ranger background and was used to being ignored, and that he had grown up among Elves and was used to their secrecy. Because otherwise, he was sure, he would have been driven mad several weeks ago.  
  
---  
  
When Kari brought Glorfindel to Rachel's room, and he saw how barely alive Rachel actually was, he realized that until now, he hadn't really believed Elladan. Some part of his mind had been denying, during the entire whirlwind ride to Minas Tirith, that Rachel was fading, putting it down to an unusually cruel prank of Elladan's, or some plan of both the twins, or something, anything other that what it actually was. But when he saw Rachel before him, still as death, skin almost translucent, with waves of despair and sorrow rolling off of her, he could no longer deny it, and drew in a sharp breath.  
  
"We have tried everything." Kari said softly, and then looked at Glorfindel pleadingly. "Bring her back." she asked unnecessarily, then disappeared from the room.  
  
When she was gone, Glorfindel simply stood for a time, watching Rachel. Then, cautiously, he went over to the bed and sat down on the edge. There was no response from Rachel, so he took one of her hands in his own and called her name. Rachel's eyes opened with an agonizing slowness, and her eyes focused on Glorfindel. For a moment, all was still, and then, with surprising strength, Rachel pulled her hand out of Glorfindel's, and rolled so her back was facing him, pulling her knees up to her chest and hiding her face under an arm. Glorfindel grimaced at the pain that this quiet rejection caused. Oh no, he would not survive if Rachel decided to go to the Halls of Mandos.  
  
"Rachel..." Glorfindel said again, his voice suddenly hoarse, resting a hand on the Elf-maiden's shoulder. He felt a tremor go through her body, and swallowed heavily, knowing it was from fear. "I know that you did not know. I do not hold you accountable for your ignorance. Do not do this - do not fade. Please."  
  
There was no indication that Rachel heard, and Glorfindel let out a pained sigh. This, he could tell, was going to be difficult. Glorfindel tilted his head to one side as he looked at Rachel, trying to think of what would reassure Rachel. He smiled slightly as he got an idea, and stood from the bed, sadly noticing that Rachel relaxed visibly as soon as his weight left the bed.  
  
Not that it was going to make much difference, as all he did was walk around to the other side of the bed and sit down on that side. A well-placed arm prevented Rachel from turning around to present him with her back again, and as he got a good look at Rachel's face, he was surprised to find that she was silently crying. Her eyes, which had been closed, slid open with the same tired slowness as before when he sat on the bed, and when she discovered his arm stopping her from turning around, those tear-filled eyes locked onto his face, and Glorfindel was able to see every painful piece of emotion contained within.  
  
His heart ached, and he slowly lifted his hand to brush Rachel's tears away. She shrunk back slightly, but did not recoil entirely, and Glorfindel, watching her expression-filled face, was glad to see there was more than just fear contained in it as he caressed her cheek. Longing and hope were there as well.  
  
That gave Glorfindel the surety he needed to carry through with his little idea, and so he carefully and slowly leaned over and brushed his lips against Rachel's. He felt her stiffen immediately, and try to pull away, but his arm behind her still kept her from moving her body far, and his other hand now rested behind her head, preventing her from moving it very far, either. He did not push it, however, and pulled back to watch Rachel's expression. She was squeezing her eyes shut, and pain was etched on her features - but there was also a hearty amount of confusion.  
  
"Rachel, whatever you may think my reaction to your actions was, it is not true. I love you, and I will not cast that love aside easily." Glorfindel said softly. An eye cracked open promisingly, looking up at Glorfindel. Glorfindel smiled tenderly, then leaned in and brushed his lips against Rachel's again. This time, he noticed, Rachel didn't try to shrink away, and when he pulled back again, her expression was one of uncertainty and confusion.  
  
All was still for a moment as Glorfindel almost literally watched the thoughts going through Rachel's head. Then Rachel hauled herself up and wrapping her arms around Glorfindel, burying her face in his neck and managing to end out sitting in his lap. Glorfindel was slightly surprised, but quickly wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as he felt a slight dampness against his neck as Rachel started crying again. He held her for a time, and then lightly kissed her cheek.  
  
"I was going to ask you to marry me soon, anyways." he added with a touch of amusement. There was a pause, a moment of absolute stillness in the Elf he held in his arms, and Glorfindel's mind went into panic mode as it realized all the ways that could be taken. "I would bind myself to you even now to prove my intentions," Glorfindel added hastily, "Except it would, once again, be an act of comfort, and this started because I did not want to bind to you under such circumstances."  
  
"What better circumstances are there?" Rachel asked softly, her face still buried in Glorfindel's neck.  
  
"Love and joy." Glorfindel replied softly. Unexpectedly, Rachel snorted, drawing away from Glorfindel and giving him and ironic look.  
  
"Love and joy are illusions." she said bitterly. In response, Glorfindel pulled her to him and gave her a deep, tender kiss.  
  
"I beg to differ." he said when he pulled away, his voice throaty and low. Rachel looked back at him with a slightly dazed look in her eyes, and nodded wordlessly. Then, surprisingly, she let out a small, low giggle. A twinkle entered her eyes, and while she didn't quite smile, the corners of her mouth turned up a little, and she look much improved from before.  
  
"Sorry, my mind decided to compute the age difference and what my parents would say if they knew." she said. Glorfindel smiled and let out a little laugh.  
  
"You always think of the most amusing things at the oddest moments." he said. Rachel actually smiled now, but there was a sad tinge to it.  
  
"Only sometimes." she said, and Glorfindel would have had to be an idiot to not get what she was referring to. He gave her another light kiss.  
  
"That was more feeling than thought, I think." he said softly. "And the way you trust and follow your feelings is what makes you who you are - the only elf-maiden to see past the legend of the twice-born Balrog-slayer to the elf beneath." Rachel gave another little sad smile, and then snuggled up close to Glorfindel again, tightening her hold on him somewhat.  
  
"I love you, Glorfindel." she said quietly after a moment, and Glorfindel kiss her lightly on the temple.  
  
"And I you." he said, his mouth twitching in an attempt to smile as he realized the reversal in roles. "And I you." he repeated, and let his eyes close, simply enjoying holding his beloved, though he knew that while the crisis was passed, there was a long way yet to go to full recovery.  
  
---  
  
Aragorn was waiting for Kari when she returned to her rooms - well, they were her and Elrohir's rooms, to be truthful. The servants had quite hastily moved where Kari was staying when Elrohir had showed up and they had found out he was her husband.  
  
"Eager little beaver, aren't we?" Kari asked, shaking her head slightly with amusement. Aragorn blinked.  
  
"Beaver?" he asked.  
  
"Funny little creature with a big tail." Kari explained, waving her hand through the air dismissively.  
  
"Ah." Aragorn replied, not really understanding, but pretending he did, anyways. There was a pause as Kari flopped down into a chair. "So will you explain now?" Kari sighed.  
  
"I will explain some, but not all. The story is, truthfully, not mine to tell. You will get to hear it eventually, however - Rachel intends to gather everybody who needs or wants to be told and explain it to them all at once." Kari's face darkened for a moment as she mentally added 'if she survives'. Then she pulled herself back to the present and continued, "But the basics of the current situation is this:  
  
"In-between the time the Fellowship left Lothlórien, and dawn the next morning, Glorfindel and Rachel somehow managed to get into a fight. So Rachel and I left without Glorfindel. Something - probably anger - kept Rachel going until just after you guys left to go thumb your noses at Sauron. I think, perhaps, that she had still harbored some hope up until then that Glorfindel would show up and everything would magically be better. But then that hope disappeared somehow, and she started fading.  
  
"I didn't recognize it, unfortunately, because I have, fortunately, had little experience with fading - Celebrían was the only fading Elf I have seen, and I'm not into healing that much, so I haven't even read up on it. So it wasn't until Elladan and Elrohir arrived that I found out what was wrong with Rachel. Elladan, as you know, immediately set out to find Glorfindel, and thankfully, Gandalf convinced Shadowfax to bear him there, and Glorfindel back. No other horse could have gotten Glorfindel here in time - though Asfaloth probably would have burst his heart trying." Aragorn smiled somewhat at that accurate description of Asfaloth's loyalty to Glorfindel.  
  
"And so now Glorfindel's in there trying to convince Rachel not to go to the Halls of Mandos and see if she can drive a Vala insane." Kari finished with a shrug. "We'll find out whether or not he succeeds soon." There was a moment of silence as Aragorn thought over what Kari had just told him.  
  
"My thanks." he said at last. "This has, of course, raised more questions, but if they will be answered eventually by the one they concern, as you say, then I suppose I can wait to ask them."  
  
"Well I'm glad someone managed to pound some patience into you." Kari said with a grin.  
  
"It is hard not to pick it up when surrounded by Elves." Aragorn said, rolling his eyes as he hoisted himself out of the chair he had been....for lack of a better word, sprawled in (though Rangers never really sprawled, since it was such a vulnerable position). He bid goodbye to Kari, and she replied in kind before he left at a brisk walk, apparently off to whatever meeting Glorfindel's arrival had interrupted.  
  
----To be continued...with Sleepy!Claim!Staking!Rachel!----  
(And the Enterprise A!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Well, since not all of you have access to my LiveJournal, and I announced it there on Monday afternoon, here's the Author's Note of the story:  
  
As of Monday afternoon, 'The Games of the Gods' has stood finished at 79 chapters in length.  
  
Yes, though I haven't really announced it to you reviewers at large, I HAVE been writing far ahead of where I'm posting in this story...mostly only ten chapters or so ahead (except over Christmas vacation...got 20 chapters ahead, then). But now...I'm done writing it. So from now on I shall simply be posting...one day earlier than normal, if I can think up disclaimers in time. :) So that means: instead of updating Saturday night/Sunday, I'll hopefully be updating next sometime on Saturday. Then sometime on Monday. Then sometime on Wednesday. And I think you can figure out the rest from there. Those especially smart ones might even figure out that with that updating schedual, it is only going to take me 20 days to post the remaining chapters. Well, 22 days, actually, since I have the special feature thingy at the end.  
  
And while we're on about the story...I revised a small part of Chapter 57 because of a comment a reviewer made that I realized was right and just now corrected.  
  
Right. Now, don't let the fact that the story is finished being written turn you off of reviewing! More than once I've changed an already-written part of the story because a reviewer suggested something good, or pointed out a mistake ahead of time. And if people completely lose interest in TGotG, at least as far as I can tell from reviews, why would I bother to finish posting it? So please keep reviewing, and look for an update sometime on Saturday!  
  
~Crimson Starlight  
  
-Revision's Author's Note:-  
Yeah, ok, I woke up at 4 AM last night and had this sudden inspiration to add to the scene where Glorfindel said he was going to ask Rachel to marry him soon, anyways. Unfortunately, I had mis-placed the pen that I usually keep beside my bed for when such night-time inspirations strike (though they, thankfully, don't do so very often) though I did have paper. So I had to crawl out of bed, turn on my light, and then poke around trying to find a writing utensil that worked while constantly running over the scene in my head so that my sleepy mind would not forget it. Urg. I hope you enjoy it...  
  
~CS 


	70. Recovery

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Bwa! I own nothing. Except the rather amusing chibi drawing I just made for the special feature...  
  
Haldir: You enjoy tormenting your reviewers, don't you?  
  
CS: Hm?  
  
Haldir: Well, they're not going to get to see this 'chibi drawing' you just made until you post the special feature, which won't be for another three weeks or so...and you've just said that it's amusing. So now they're going to want to see it.  
  
CS: ...shush you. I'd be posting it already if it didn't give away the main joke in the special feature.  
  
Haldir: What, you mean the part about - *gets tackles by CS* mmPH!   
  
CS: Yes, that part.  
  
Haldir: *blink* You didn't even know what I was going to say...?  
  
CS: Well, really, the whole thing's a joke, so whatever you were going to say was, in some way, part of the part I was talking about.  
  
Haldir: Not necisarily...  
  
CS and Haldir: *continue pointlessly arguing along on that topic*  
  
Rachel: Oi, and I thought -I- didn't get along with Haldir...  
  
-70: Recovery-  
  
It was three days later before Kari finally got worried enough to knock on Rachel's door. Food had been disappearing into the room, so she knew someone was alive in there, but as to more than that, she was clueless. Kari was also getting slightly harried, as Faramir and Aragorn had apparently exchanged notes about Rachel the Elf and Asira the Gondorian Lady, and had started asking questions of the only person they could find who they thought knew the answers, despite Kari's constant admonishments to remain patient, as an explanation would come in time.  
  
At any rate, it was half worry, and half a need to escape from Faramir and Aragorn, that drove Kari to knock on Rachel's door late in the afternoon of the third day after Glorfindel arrived. There was silence behind the door for a good minute, and Kari was just about to knock again, when the door opened to reveal Glorfindel. He looked, thankfully, happy, if tired, and upon seeing who was at the door, he opened it wide enough to admit Kari, and she stepped aside.  
  
Once Kari was in, Glorfindel shut the door and turned to her, nodding in the direction of the bedroom. Kari took the invitation for what it was, and moved as silently as she could over to the bedroom door, which she cracked open just enough to poke her head in. Rachel was asleep on the bed - her half-lidded eyes testified to the depth of that sleep - clutching a pillow that Kari suspected was a recent replacement for a certain Elf-lord, and she looked much improved from the last time Kari had seen her. Kari smiled slightly with relief, then pulled her head out of the bedroom and turned back to Glorfindel. He smiled at her obvious relief, then beckoned for her to follow him, and when she did, he led her out onto the balcony.  
  
"I must admit, I expected your curiosity to get the better of you before now." were Glorfindel's first words. They were quiet, but the amusement was clear.  
  
"I figured you two would make an appearance when you were ready." Kari said with a shrug, also keeping her voice quiet. "I probably would not even be here now if Aragorn and Faramir hadn't been driving me insane with their questions."  
  
"You should tell them to be patient." Glorfindel said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"I have." Kari replied grumpily, and Glorfindel shook his head and tsked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.  
  
"Did that boy forget everything we taught him as soon as he was crowned?" he asked rhetorically, and Kari chuckled lightly.  
  
"I think it's more chafing at suddenly being King of one of the biggest Kingdoms of Men out there, and yet finding that we Elves are still able to keep secrets from him." Kari said with a smirk.  
  
"Of course we can. The youngest of us is ten times his age." Glorfindel said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Hmm, yes, but the whole age thing is probably starting to get hard for Aragorn to wrap his head around, since he's starting to show some signs of ageing, and we all still look the same as the day he was born." Kari said with an amused smile. "I know it was rather weird for me when I hit 100. I kept waking up in the morning expecting to be a crotchety old lady." I was Glorfindel's turn to chuckle lightly.  
  
"I would have liked to see Elrohir's face if one morning you DID wake up a crotchety old lady." he said. Kari snickered.  
  
"Yeah, that would've been funny to see." she said. "Though not very funny afterwards..."  
  
"Only if you were actually an old lady, and did not just have a glamour cast over you." Glorfindel said, looking mischievous. Kari arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, you are definitely in a fine mood." she said, and Glorfindel suddenly smiled brightly.  
  
"Why would I not be?" he asked, practically oozing happiness as his eyes drifted over to around where Rachel's bedroom was. Kari shook her head and smiled.  
  
"I expect to hear a betrothal announcement before you follow Elrond to Valinor, you know." she warned. "And possibly an invitation to a wedding." Glorfindel chuckled, eyes sparkling.  
  
"Oh, you shall." he said, "Though I am not entirely sure that I shall follow Elrond."  
  
"Why not?" Kari asked, her eyebrows shooting up. Glorfindel nodded in the direction of Rachel's bedroom.  
  
"I will not leave her, nor force her to leave before she is ready." he said softly, but firmly. Kari glanced south and west, the direction of Dol Amroth.  
  
"Frankly, Glorfindel, I think she will be ready to leave when Elrond goes. She may not realize it herself, but I think it has been on her mind for awhile now." Kari said with a light frown. "She has avoided Dol Amroth for decades - despite Prince Imrahil being her friend, and he, along with Boromir and Faramir, inviting her to come - because she feared awakening a longing for the sea. Yet even before we left Lothlórien, she was speaking of going there." There was silence for a moment.  
  
"I had not thought of that." Glorfindel confessed finally. Kari smiled lightly.  
  
"Most would not, unless they had done the same sort of reading as Rachel and I." Kari said, and the emphasis she put on 'reading' made sure Glorfindel didn't mistake exactly what reading she was talking about.  
  
"The books speak about Elven longing for the sea?" Glorfindel asked curiously, and Kari nodded.  
  
"When it is awoken in Legolas." she said, then half-closed her eyes and recited from memory,  
  
"To the Sea, to the Sea! The white gulls are crying,  
The wind is blowing, and the white foam is flying.  
West, west away, the round sun is falling.  
Grey ship, grey ship, do you here them calling,  
The voices of my people that have gone before me?  
I will leave, I will leave the woods that bore me,  
For our days are ending and our years failing.  
I will pass the wide waters lonely sailing.  
Long are the waves on the Last Shore falling,  
Sweet are the voices in the Lost Isle calling,  
In Eressëa, in Elvenhome that no man can discover,  
Where the leaves fall not: land of my people for ever!" She smiled slightly and opened her eyes when she finished. "Legolas can be quite the poet." Glorfindel's eyebrows shot up.  
  
"Did you...?" he didn't need to finish the question, as Kari nodded.  
  
"I was a little...um...obsessed with the poetry and verses in the books before Rachel and I came here." Kari said, waving a hand through the air vaguely. "Rachel found some of the verses of the Fall of Gil-Galad catching, but I am as much an expert on the poetry and verses as she is on the dates." Glorfindel nodded, and then suddenly straightened from where he had been leaning against the balcony railing, tilting his head to one side. Moments later, a sleepy looking Rachel appeared in the doorway into her rooms.  
  
"Hiya 'Ri." she mumbled, then immediately wandered over to Glorfindel and snuggled up against his side, looking extremely content. Kari smiled, happy to see her friend so blatantly and obviously in love.  
  
"We didn't wake you, I hope?" she asked.  
  
"'Course you did. I always wake up when I hear parts of the books." Rachel replied, still mumbling. "Helps me catch interesting conversations." Kari chuckled.  
  
"My apologies, then." she said. Rachel waved the apology away with one hand, which went back to holding onto Glorfindel's shoulder as soon as it was finished with the action.  
  
"I've been doing little more than sleeping and eating recently, anyways." she said.  
  
"Which you need to do to get your strength back." Glorfindel said, light scolding in his tone.  
  
"Nah, snuggling my Elf-lord will do that." Rachel practically purred. Kari snickered, noting the possessive in the sentence.  
  
"Well, that is that. You are as good as married now - she has laid her claim." she said. Rachel shot Kari an amused look, and then looked up at Glorfindel like a cat looking at a bowl of cream.  
  
"I did that back in Lothlórien." she said, once again practically purring. Glorfindel shifted slightly, and for the first time ever since she had known the Elf-lord, Kari saw him blush slightly. She laughed.  
  
"What's the date, anyways?" Rachel asked after Kari's mirth had calmed down. "This fine specimen of the male gender refuses to tell me for some reason."  
  
"June 14th." Kari said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Of the year 3019, I'm assuming?" Rachel said with a light frown, and Kari nodded. Rachel paused. "Elladan and Elrohir will be meeting Arwen's escort today."  
  
"Elrohir will, you mean." Kari said with a small smile. Rachel looked at Kari curiously, and Kari turned a mock scowl on Glorfindel. "Haven't you told her anything?"  
  
"I have been a little busy with other matters." Glorfindel replied dryly, and Kari paused, then nodded, conceding the point.  
  
"Elladan took off on Shadowfax the day after he and Elrohir got back from Mordor, to get Glorfindel. When he met the escort, he switched places - I'm assuming." Kari glanced at Glorfindel, and he nodded, then smirked slightly.  
  
"Though he might have had an interesting time trying to get on Asfaloth." he said. "That horse has never liked any of Elrond's children." Rachel and Kari exchanged glances, and then burst out laughing.  
  
"Go Asfaloth!" Rachel cheered when she had calmed down. Glorfindel arched an eyebrow at her. "I told you about the two different versions, remember?" Glorfindel looked thoughtful for a moment, then remembered, and nodded, grinning now.  
  
"I had not put those two things together before." he said.  
  
"Of course not. That's Kari's and my job." Rachel replied cheerfully, and then suddenly let out a jaw-cracking yawn. "Damn, I hate being tired. I wish Middle-Earth had caffeine or sugar in concentrated, easily palatable amounts." Kari snickered.  
  
"Sorry. The only thing I have been able to come up with is a mild form of coffee, and it's imported from the south and so darn expensive that I doubt even a High King of the Elves could afford to drink it on a daily basis. Never mind you or I." she said, then arched an eyebrow at Kari. "So that means that you are going to actually have to take NOTICE of your body when it tells you to sleep." Rachel stuck her tongue out at Kari.  
  
"I don't like sleep. It should be banned. It takes time away from the more interesting thing called life." she grumped.  
  
"But if there was no sleep, there would be no beds, and that would most assuredly be a bad thing." Glorfindel interjected with innocence. Rachel opened her mouth to reply, then blinked, shut her mouth, and looked up at Glorfindel with a cross between puzzlement, surprise, and admiration. Kari applauded.  
  
"Congratulations, you have figured out Rachel Logic!" she said with a smirk. "I always knew whoever Rachel ended up with would have it figured out." Then she frowned slightly and added, "Though I have yet to decide whether this is a good thing or a bad thing."  
  
"It's somewhere in-between." Rachel said with a wry smile, and Kari nodded in acceptance.  
  
"Anyways. Rachel, when are you going to get everyone together and explain The Story to them?" Kari asked. "Faramir and Aragorn have been talking, and are now driving me insane with questions."  
  
"Oh, I dunno. I want Imrahil here, along with Faramir, Aragorn, the twins, possibly Haldir..." Rachel said, shrugging one shoulder as she rested her head against Glorfindel's chest. "The rest of the Fellowship if they want. And Galadriel, Gandalf and Elrond should probably be included - I don't think any of them have gotten the complete story, at least not from me." Kari nodded.  
  
"So when will they all be in one place?" she asked. Rachel paused for a moment, squinting at a piece of stonework as she thought.  
  
"Um...Arwen and Aragorn's wedding? If Haldir comes with the escort." Rachel finally said.  
  
"And that's half a month away. Great." Kari sighed.  
  
"Tell Faramir he's a 'fobobair nawe shmirm' if he keeps asking. It'll shut him up." Rachel said with a smile. Kari's eyebrows shot up.  
  
"Why would calling him an evil nipple boy shut him up? Strikes me it'd make him laugh and then want answers more." she said.  
  
"Well, if that was what he thought 'fobobair nawe shmirm' meant, yes, he probably would do that." Rachel conceded. "But since he thinks it means he's an orc's mother, it will probably shut him up for awhile." Kari looked at Rachel for a moment, and then started laughing.  
  
"What other little jokes have you sprinkled throughout Middle-Earth, girl?" Kari asked once she calmed down.  
  
"There's a Green Dragon Inn down in the sixth ring of the city." Rachel said with a smile. "And if you go to Rohan and look through the breeding books, every time there's a chestnut stallion named 'Hero Bill', I was there. Oooh, and then there's this one tapestry up in the east wing of the Citadel that, if you look really closely, has the Enterprise A stitched into the sky as Eärendil. Not to mention that there's a nice little plaque in the Steward heir's rooms that, among a bunch of fancy decorations, contains the words 'Veni, Vidi, Lustici'." Kari chuckled and shook her head. "And those are only the things that lasted." Rachel added with a grin. Kari arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh? What did you do that didn't last?" she asked.  
  
"Well, there were the random parties that I threw whenever something important happened, the two years wear I wore nothing but black because of Celebrían, and the graffiti on the Argonath." Rachel replied, her eyes unfocusing slightly as she sought to remember all the things she'd done.  
  
"Graffiti on the Argonath?!" Kari asked, her eyebrows shooting upwards. "What did you write?"  
  
"'Dude with a 'tude' on Isildur." Rachel replied with a smile. "And the funny thing was, I went ahead of my escort in the night to be able to do it, and so I was able to see their faces and still remain completely blameless when they saw it. Absolutely priceless. When I went back a few years later, though, someone had scoured it away."  
  
"I take it you were heading to Rohan at the time, and were slightly pissed at Gondor?" Kari asked dryly, and Rachel nodded vigorously.  
  
"It was shortly after one of the Steward's sons wouldn't leave me alone, even though I was a 'bar wench' who constantly discouraged him, right along side his family." she said. "It got to the point where I either had to leave or tell him why exactly I wasn't interested. I left, going to work for a lady I knew he hated - and for good reason, as she was damn annoying - and that thoroughly annoyed me with Gondorians for the next little while." Kari shook her head.  
  
"I don't get it." she said. "I talk to you non-stop for weeks on end, getting all sorts of hilarious stories out of you, and yet somehow, after all that, you still manage to find even more stuff, equally as hilarious, to tell me. How did you do it? How did you manage to wrack up such a large amount of stories in only 800 years?"  
  
"Well -"  
  
"She shall have to tell you later." Glorfindel interrupted Rachel, frowning lightly down at the maiden who was now leaning on him quite heavily. "Time for bed." Rachel wrinkled her nose, and made as if to protest, but the instant she opened her mouth, she let out a huge yawn. Kari chuckled.  
  
"Go, have a nice cuddle. I shall go back to being tormented by the King and Steward." she said. Rachel nodded, seeing herself out-voted.  
  
"Bye then." she said, and waved tiredly to Kari as her friend turned and left the balcony with her own wave. Kari was just shutting the door behind her when she heard Rachel protest at something, only to be cut off by a suspicious silence. Kari smirked as she strained her ears and, sure enough, heard footsteps - which she only would have heard if Glorfindel was carrying Rachel. Oh yes, definitely in love, both of them. Sickeningly so. Damn, why did Elrohir have to leave? Kari sighed and headed off to her rooms, suddenly missing her own Elf-lord very much.  
  
----To be continued...with scientific discussions resulting confused vertically challenged persons!----  
(And just about every other type of person, too...)  
  
-Random Note:-  
The 'Veni, Vidi, Lustici' comes from Camilla Sandman's 'The Official FanFiction University of Middle-Earth' (OFUM for short). It's Latin, and means 'I came, I saw, I lusted'...at least, according to what's on the OFUM website that's what it means. At any rate, I didn't make 'Veni, Vidi, Lustici' up - my mom tried to get me to learn Latin at one point, but it didn't stick enough for me to make up such a phrase myself.  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. It was quite refreshing to get into my inbox the day after posting the chapter and see the same general amount of reviews as normal there...and on the topic of reviewing, guess what I found out? You can submit a signed review to your own story...O.o This strikes me as a dangerous prospect. (And for those of your wondering, yes, I found this out through experimentation...I honestly expected it to give me an error message saying I couldn't do it! But it let me!)  
  
For any of you out there that might be wondering - I know there was at least one - TGotG reaches just over 400 pages in 12-point Time New Roman type in word. Or 315 pages if one uses my typical format of 10-point Arial type...whatever you use, it's freakishly long. :P  
  
Also, I got a new place to host my webpage! This is good, since it takes about 20MB of space if I include all my graphics, and the server I was using before had a grand total of...5MB of space. So now, instead of just my writing being on 'This Corner of Insanity' (my webpage), I've got my writing AND my lj icons, plus the desktops and tiling backgrounds that I've made over the years and haven't really put up anywhere before now. All the TGotG pictures have also been moved to the new site, under the FanFiction category. Just click on FanFiction, then on TGotG, and down at the bottom there will be three links to the TGotG pictures.  
  
Yep, so, this is the end of a rather long author's note. So remember - review! And I'll see y'all again sometime Monday!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	71. Chatter

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: I own nothing. Which is probably a good thing, since I seem to totally forget about some of the few things that I DO own...  
  
Valinlot: *icily* Yes indeed.  
  
CS: *eyes Valinlot nervously* Er, AngelQueen, I'm not sure whether I should thank you for reminding me of Lady Valinlot, or just start running ...  
  
Rachel: I would advise running. You can always thank reviewers later, in the Author's Note, where us characters, except for Haldir, are banned...  
  
CS: Point. *runs*  
  
Valinlot: *follows*  
  
Rachel: *snickers*  
  
Kari: *smirks* Well, at least CS now has something to keep her busy...  
  
Rachel: Yes, running does tend to keep one busy.  
  
Kari: ...I meant re-writing some of the remaining scenes so that Valinlot is accounted for in the last eight chapters.  
  
Rachel: ...I knew that.  
  
-71: Chatter-  
  
It was a slow recovery for me, after Glorfindel arrived. Painfully so, considering how adverse I was to inactivity. Fortunately, I had Glorfindel to keep me occupied, and to reassure me when I had sudden bouts doubting - which were, happily, though frequent at first, soon became few and far between. To help distract me from those feelings, though, Glorfindel and Kari managed to come up with several board games - which, as Kari recalled, I loved to play. There were boards that we could use to play checkers and chess, and somehow they managed to produce a deck of cards enough like those that we had back on Earth that I could teach Glorfindel a few of the card games I knew. He could never seem to understand 'Cheat', though...  
  
Only Kari visited me during my enforced recovery in my rooms, (I think she and Glorfindel warned the Fellowship and Faramir away from my rooms) though the servants were frequently in and out to clean. When they did that, Glorfindel and I simply sat out on the balcony, letting them do their job. They gossiped about us outside the room, I knew, especially since I hadn't bothered to put my headscarf back on or hide my ears, but I truly didn't care anymore.  
  
I was going to be leaving Middle-Earth in three years, anyways, when Glorfindel followed Elrond to Valinor - though, truth be told, I was ready to go all by myself. Humanity is nice in short bursts, but I had become aware as I grew older about just how short-sighted they are. Not that I can blame them - I know how they are, they live in the moment, and only a rare few really look to the Future, instead of to their children. And they take about twenty times longer than normal to solve big problems simply because there is, inevitably, that loss of knowledge when they pass their projects on to a new generation. Really, it's just the way they are - and the differences between them and an immortal elf can only be pushed aside for so long.  
  
At any rate, with all my quiet time, I had started to come up with a plan for the next three years. I hadn't told anyone about it yet, even Glorfindel, but I doubted he would disagree with it. He seemed to enjoy bending over backwards for me at the moment, anyways...I'd have to fix that eventually. But not until I'd introduced my plan and gotten him to agree to it. Because darn it, I wanted to see the Lonely Mountain, Mirkwood (or Eryn Lasgalen as it was soon to be called), Ithilien, and Dol Amroth before I went to Valinor.  
  
Eventually, a week before mid-year's day, I managed to convince Glorfindel and Kari to let me out. I was still not fully recovered, and I knew it, but I also knew that if I took it slow I'd be fine. The hobbits were the only foreseeable problem, at any rate - and Legolas was likely to keep them in check, as Kari had informed me one day that he had sensed I was fading when he first entered Minas Tirith.  
  
"Asira!" Faramir greeted me happily when I entered the informal dining room for...well, originally it had been for the King and his family, but Aragorn seemed to be using it for the Fellowship and his Steward.  
  
"Please, call me Rachel, Faramir. 'Tis my true name." I said with a smile as he rose. He paused, shrugged, and gave me a hug. I chuckled, glad to see nothing had changed even though I was now not bothering to hide my ears. Kari had reported that the servants had already seen them, anyways, and that they had been the topic of choice for the Gondorian nobles for the first week or so after Glorfindel arrived.  
  
"We have been worried about you." Faramir said solemnly when he drew back.  
  
"Oh come now. Have you not any faith in a twice-born Balrog slayer?" I teased. Faramir blushed slightly with embarrassment as he looked up at Glorfindel, who was standing right behind me.  
  
"They had a right to be worried, considering how worried I myself was." Glorfindel said dryly. I shrugged.  
  
"Oh, alright then." I said. "If you all insist on being worried on my behalf, I shall not stop you. Unless you overdo it."  
  
"Then you shall all know it." Kari said with a smirk as she entered, and I nodded heartily in agreement. From there, I went on to greet the rest of the inhabitants of the chamber, which consisted of...the remains of the Fellowship. Gandalf surprised me by enveloping me in a big hug that almost suffocated me, and when I drew away I announced that I was going to start calling him Big Bear if he kept doing that. There were chuckles around the table, and then, at the hobbits urgings, we settled down to eat breakfast.  
  
There was light talk all around, but eventually, it died down, and the Fellowship (minus Gandalf) seemed to be glancing among each other trying to figure out who was going to say something. I watched curiously for a moment, wondering what they could be wanting to say - and hoping it wasn't wanting to ask me about how an Elf came to be posing as a Gondorian lady - and then Aragorn and Legolas both looked towards Faramir at the same moment, and I realized what it was.  
  
"Would one of you seven just spit it out?" I asked dryly. A few of the Fellowship started with surprise, apparently not having expected me to notice.  
  
"Uhm," Aragorn started, and then looked to Legolas. I hid a smile of amusement behind my mug. Gandalf saw, however, and arched an eyebrow at me. I just arched one back as I continued to watch the Fellowship squirm. Finally, I just sighed.  
  
"Alright, I'll say it for you then. Boromir's dead, he died at Amon Hen, ten days after you left Lothlórien, because he broke his promise to me and left his bleeping shield behind." I said, and then let my amused smile show as the Fellowship looked at me with slight surprise.  
  
"You were told, then." Aragorn said, sounding relieved.  
  
"Nope." I replied cheerfully. The Fellowship looked at me blankly.  
  
"She knew ahead of time." Faramir put in dryly, and all eyes were immediately turned to him. He arched an eyebrow. "Honestly, do you think I would have so easily accepted my brother's death if I had not been expecting it?"  
  
"You told him?" Gandalf's eyebrows shot up as he looked at me.  
  
"It was his fault." I grumped. "He's got too damn much Elvish blood in him, and he's more stubborn than Dior."  
  
"Dior?" Glorfindel arched an eyebrow.  
  
"I told you about the stubborn son-of-a-Steward, remember?" I said pleasantly, and Glorfindel nodded, chuckling. Faramir and Aragorn, however, turned interested looks my way.  
  
"What is this now?" Faramir asked, obviously curious.  
  
"A little known tale of your house." I said dryly. "You remember how Dior never married and produced an heir?" Faramir nodded. "That was because he claimed to be head over heels in love with me. Regardless of the fact that I was posing at that time as a...hm, how did Barahir put it? Oh yes, 'slutty bar wench with no morals'." I grinned at Faramir's look of stunned surprise.  
  
"How did this happen?" he asked finally.  
  
"Well, I was working in the Green Dragon Tavern -"  
  
"The what?" Merry and Pippin said as one, immediately becoming more interested in the conversation, where before they had only been paying slight attention while talking to each other and Frodo and Sam. Frodo and Sam also looked interested now.  
  
"The Green Dragon Tavern." I said with a small smile. "It's an Inn, now, and a rather respectable one. Not quite up to the standards of the one in the Shire, though, I'm sure, and most likely quite different. For sure, it has no Rosie serving drinks." I quirked an eyebrow upward as I looked at Sam, who immediately blushed a deep red. Merry and Pippin laughed, and Frodo smiled. I looked back to Faramir and Aragorn, both of whom were looking somewhat amused and confused by the exchange.  
  
"Ask Sam about the Green Dragon Inn and Rosie sometime. But be sure to have one of the other three around to make sure you get the truth about Rosie." I told them with grin. Aragorn and Faramir nodded as one, while Sam grumbled at me under his breath.  
  
"I will be sure to." Faramir said. "But you were saying?"  
  
"Yes. I was working at the Green Dragon Tavern at the time, and it was quite a rough-and-tumble place there. I think I was the only barmaid there that actually spent time sleeping in her room. Certainly, it was a rare event indeed when I had help cleaning up the last of the mess at night." I smiled with amusement, seeing that the Fellowship and Faramir were having trouble picturing me in such a place. Glorfindel's face was unreadable, but Kari was shaking her head, her amusement clearly written across her face.  
  
"Only you would choose to work in such a place." I heard her mutter, and my smile grew into a grin as I continued.  
  
"At any rate, one day Dior and Denethor - the first - decided to escape from the stuffy ladies up in court, and disguised themselves and snuck down into the city. Why they choose the Green Dragon I don't know - Dior never gave me a straight answer on that. But it happened that I was in an extremely good mood that night, and so was actually singing along with the songs in the tavern.  
  
"Now, normally, I didn't sing along, since my voice is very easily distinguished as being of a far better quality than even the best human female's. But every once and awhile, when I was in a good mood, I would, and I just hoped that nobody who knew what an Elf sounded like would hear it. Of course, I never considered the other possibility - that someone would hear it, recognize it as more than normal, and then start to see past the rest of my disguise." I sighed. "Which is exactly what Dior did.  
  
"He spent the entire evening flirting with me, and I have a feeling that if I had been just any old bar wench and done what any old bar wench would do if they found a rather handsome and respectable looking man flirting with them, Dior would have gone back to the Citadel and never returned. But I refused him, and that apparently caught his attention, and the next thing I knew, I couldn't turn around without running into the damn guy." I scowled slightly.  
  
"Before long, Dior had convinced himself he was in love with me, and Barahir eventually found out. He came a' knocking, of course, and scared the poor Tavern keeper nearly out of his wits, showing up with a full half a dozen tower guards, before I appeared. Well, Barahir was all set right then and there to throw me in the jail and never let me out, but I quickly informed him that I had no interest whatsoever in his son and that Dior was more of a nuisance to me than anything else.  
  
"After that, it was mostly a case of me, Barahir, and everyone else in Dior's family desperately trying to convince him that he wasn't in love with me and that I'd never marry him. Dior, however, was a stubborn idiot. He insisted that he loved me, and that I would give in and marry him someday. To that end, he wouldn't stop pestering me. Out of exasperation, I packed up my things and went and found work as a ladies maid to one of the ladies I recalled Dior saying he absolutely detested. And sure enough, I never saw him again." I finished with a smile, and there was a moment of silence around the table before most of the Big Folk chuckled lightly. The hobbits looked a little confused.  
  
"But if you are immortal, why did you simply not marry him then?" Pippin asked timidly after a moment. I felt Glorfindel stiffen slightly, and kicked him under the table.  
  
"Elves marry for life. Their lives." I replied smoothly. "And anyways, compared to the Elf-lord's I'd seen - and even to Aragorn here - he was not all that good looking."  
  
"Worse than Aragorn? That's a miracle." Kari commented. Aragorn sent her a death glare, and she looked back innocently. "Honestly, I don't know what the appeal of Rugged Dirty Men is."  
  
"Probably the 'Rugged' and 'Men' part." I said with a shrug. "And the fact that if they're dirty, that opens up the opportunity to give them a bath." I grinned as Aragorn began shifting uncomfortably. "I, personally, prefer guys who bathe regularly. Even if it does seem to make their epidermal layer emit phosphorescent particles on occasions when the illumination of the generic area in which they stand is less than the standard needed for the average creature to process their surroundings through their visual sensory organs." The entire table looked at me blankly.  
  
"Epi-what?" Pippin asked.  
  
"Epidermal." I replied with a grin. "It's a term for one's skin."  
  
"So what does 'phosphorescent particles' mean?" Glorfindel asked with a small frown. I looked towards Kari expectantly, and she looked back at me blankly.  
  
"Oh come on, it's one been 800 years. Don't tell me you're forgotten high school science already!" I said with mock annoyance.  
  
"Hey, I always insisted that I didn't get it and that I'd forget it as soon as I didn't need it any more!" Kari said defensively. I let out a pretend exasperated sigh.  
  
"It all means, basically, that you glow in the dark." I said, turning to Glorfindel, and his face lit up with comprehension. The hobbits looked somewhat surprised.  
  
"He does?" Pippin asked, then immediately blushed.  
  
"When he wants to." I said with a nod and a grin. "Very handy for avoiding stubbing ones toes, though it is rather creepy."  
  
"Strange that you should say that, considering you do so yourself at times." Glorfindel said, arching an eyebrow. I looked at him in surprise.  
  
"I do?" Glorfindel nodded. "Now that IS creepy." I frowned slightly, and turned to Kari. "I thought only Elves who had seen the Two Trees or Valinor glowed?" I asked her in English. She shrugged, giving me a clueless look.  
  
"I thought so too." she replied, also in English. "But I glow sometimes, too."  
  
"What language is that?" Faramir asked curiously, interrupting Kari's and my conversation.  
  
"English." I replied promptly.  
  
"Ing glesh?" Faramir asked, clearly puzzled.  
  
"No, English." I corrected him.  
  
"Where is it spoken?" Faramir asked. Kari and I looked at each other for a moment, and then Kari got a teasing twinkle in her eyes before turning to Faramir and saying solemnly,  
  
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." I couldn't help it and let out a snort of laughter. Faramir frowned, realizing he was being teased.  
  
"You shall get a proper answer later." Kari replied with a smile. Faramir eyed her warily.  
  
"Don't be a fobobair nawe shmirm." I told Faramir with a scowl. This time, it was Kari who giggled, spoiling the seriousness of the situation.  
  
"I'm sorry." Kari said in English, turning to me as she grinned. "I swear, I feel like I just drank a liter of Pepsi and had a bag full of sugar."  
  
"Same here." I replied with a grin, also in English. We simply grinned at each other for a moment, and then collapsed into giggles. Everyone at the table was now looking at us strangely.  
  
"Rachel?" Glorfindel asked, clearly amused, though somewhat concerned by my behavior. "What is so funny?"  
  
"Nothing. Everything. I'm hyper." I replied, bouncing in my seat and grinning at him. Glorfindel arched an eyebrow at me.  
  
"So I see." he said, and then, unexpectedly, his hand shot out and poked me in the side. I yelped and jumped sideways in my seat, coming out of it completely and almost ending up in Gandalf's lap. I mock-glared at Glorfindel, who looked back innocently, and I promptly jabbed a hand underneath the table to his knee - which is, by the way, incredibly ticklish. Glorfindel had the supreme grace to not only yelp, but tip his chair over backwards in an attempt to get away from my hand. Most of the table looked at him in shock - only most, not all, because Kari was clutching her stomach and laughing so hard she was crying.  
  
Glorfindel disentangled himself from his chair with great dignity, setting it upright before sitting in it once more, and looked at me with mock disapproval. Then he, too, started chuckling, and soon he, Kari and I were laughing uncontrollably while the rest of the table shot us strange looks and wondered if we were sane. Eventually, I calmed myself, and to my embarrassment, let out a large yawn.  
  
"Ugh. The only bad thing about being hyper is the crash that comes after it." I muttered, then promptly crawled into Glorfindel's lap and snuggled into him, as his laughter had subsided to only chuckles.  
  
"Ah, the perks of having your own Elf-lord." Kari said, somewhat longingly.  
  
"Mmm. He'll be back in a week." I reassured her, yawning again. "And I feel as if I could sleep until then."  
  
"Then perhaps it is time for you to return to bed." Glorfindel suggested.  
  
"I'm sick of bed. Here is fine." I muttered.  
  
"If you are truly tired, Rachel, bed is the best place for you." Faramir said, sounding stern.  
  
"Be quiet or I shall..." I frowned. "Damn, did anyone manage to grab Boromir's shield, or is it in his funeral boat with him?"  
  
"Last I knew, it was still in the boat." Aragorn replied, clearly amused.  
  
"And everybody is all the safer for it, I'm sure." Faramir said, shaking his head. Aragorn looked at him curiously.  
  
"Rachel's creative use of Boromir's shield is not a new thing, then?" he asked curiously.  
  
"No indeed." Faramir replied with amusement, and proceeded to launch into tales of the other times I'd stolen Boromir's shield to whack people on the butt, including the time I'd done so to Denethor. I dozed lightly throughout the tales, and eventually, I fell asleep completely. I was so tired that I didn't even wake up when Glorfindel picked me up and carried me back to my room.  
  
----To be continued...with an explanation!---  
(And travel plans!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Yes, as the disclaimer indicated, I did indeed totally forget about Lady Valinlot. *shakes head* Sometimes I'm a little...out of it. And anyways, with a story this long, I'm not all that surprised that I have trouble remembering things...I mean, I just went back and re-read the beginning, and realized that I'd completely forgotten about the butt ugly mops Elladan and Rachel made. That might just be due to lack of sleep, however...  
  
So yeah, thanks to all my reviewers, and especially AngelQueen. Because you people not only give me feedback and continue to encourage me to write, but you remind me of things like that, sometimes by total accident. Feedback is a lovely thing - so please keep giving it! *nodnodnod*  
  
So yep, thanks, see y'all Wednesday!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	72. Truth

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: For this chapters disclaimer, we are going to go to my two wonderful new goldfish, Sharky and Spot!  
  
Sharky: Blub.  
  
Spot: Blublub?  
  
Sharky: *blink* Bluuub.  
  
Spot: Bluuuuuub...  
  
Rachel: ...You do realize fish can't talk, right CS?  
  
CS: 'Course they can talk...  
  
Rachel: No, they can't.  
  
CS: Yes they can - haven't you ever seen 'Finding Nemo'?!  
  
Rachel: Well, not really, since I was sent to Middle-earth before it came out - THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT - but it is an animated Disney movie, and Disney always makes animals talk, even though none of them actually can.  
  
CS: So...are you saying that 'Finding Nemo' wasn't real?  
  
Rachel: Well it WAS animated!  
  
CS: *sniffle* So it's not real?  
  
Rachel: No.  
  
CS: *pauses, bursts out crying, then runs away*  
  
Rachel: Er...CS owns nothing? *heads off to find Glorfindel and ask what she should do about a crying Author*  
  
Sharky: Blub?  
  
Spot: Blub...  
  
-72: Truth-  
  
Mid-summer's day came in Minas Tirith sooner than I thought possible. Arwen and her escort arrived, and Elrohir and Elladan seemed much cheered to see me up and able to greet them - and so did, to my embarrassment, just about every other Elf in the escort. Apparently the twins had explained why Glorfindel had galloped off on Shadowfax.  
  
Because of this embarrassing discovery, I retreated quickly to my rooms, pleading tiredness, though I had wanted to see the ceremonial part of Arwen and Aragorn's wedding. Glorfindel attempted to accompany me to my rooms, but I told him to go give Elrond moral support or I'd find something to replace Boromir's shield. So, with an amused smile, Glorfindel left. He returned later to find me reading, and happily described the entire ceremony to me as I curled up in his lap.  
  
Glorfindel also related the news that not only was Haldir with the party from Lothlórien, but he was there with an engagement ring on his finger. Apparently he'd proposed to Lady Valinlot two days after he returned with Celeborn and Galadriel from Dol Guldur. As part of the Elvish engagement customs, Haldir and Lady Valinlot were now spending at least a year - probably more - apart, starting with Haldir coming on this trip to Minas Tirith alone. Lady Valinlot would be traveling to Rivendell sometime before he returned from Minas Tirith.  
  
Imrahil, who had arrived back in the city the day before Arwen, appeared the next morning, looking somewhat concerned, apparently having heard tales of me being sick. I told him that I didn't want to go into it, and what it amounted to was a giant misunderstanding, and though I know he misunderstood THAT, I didn't bother to correct him as he went off reassured. At any rate, no sooner had he left than an agitated Kari arrived.  
  
"Faramir is a fobobair nawe shmirm." she announced. "Either that or you are. Did you teach him how to be how annoying and persistent? Because if you did, you're a fobobair nawe shmirm."  
  
"Then I guess I'm an evil nipple boy." I replied with amusement. "He's bugging you for answers now?" Kari nodded.  
  
"I made the mistake of saying that he'd get his answers after Aragorn and Arwen's wedding, and now he's holding me to it." she said.  
  
"Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any." I said with a frown. "Uhm...get Faramir to gather all the people I wanted to tell this tale to in the comfortable library?"  
  
"The comfortable library?" Kari asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah, he'll know which one I mean." I said, waving a hand through the air dismissively. Kari nodded.  
  
"Soooo...who did you want in on the discussion again?" she asked. I shot her a weary look, and she looked back innocently.  
  
"Imrahil, Faramir, Aragorn, the twins, Galadriel, Gandalf, Elrond, and Haldir." I said. "But tell Haldir to be nice or I'll have Glorfindel boot him out the window." Glorfindel made a noise of protest, but I arched an eyebrow at him and he quickly quieted. Kari made a small motion down by her waist, as if she was cracking a whip, and I glared at her. She looked back innocently and spoke.  
  
"I think that being not nice is the farthest thing from Haldir's mind at the moment." Kari said. "Elrohir told me that he was quite concerned when he heard you were fading. Shocked most of Lothlórien." I smiled wryly.  
  
"Weird as it is, we do have a sort of close friendship, I guess." I said. Kari chuckled and nodded, then said good-bye and disappeared out the door.  
  
"I take it I am to be included in your little explanation?" Glorfindel asked, stepping up behind me and slipping an arm around my waist. I leaned back against him.  
  
"Of course you are." I replied. "Besides being my defense against annoying Marchwardens, I need a pillow. And just a general defense against people like Elrond who might not stop talking."  
  
"Tell Elrond to shut up...indeed." Glorfindel arched an eyebrow.  
  
"I can see the thought going through your head." I told him with a grin.  
  
"Oh? And what is this oh-so-visible thought?" he asked.  
  
"'The things I do for love.'" I replied promptly, and Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"You seem to have extraordinary sight, my love." he said, then kissed me lightly. The kiss started out as innocent and chaste, but it inevitably grew, and when Kari finally returned to tell me that Faramir had gotten everyone together, she had to knock several times before either Glorfindel or I heard it. Thus it was that I was rather flushed, and slightly disheveled, when I entered what I liked to call the comfortably library of the Citadel.  
  
The 'comfortable library' was really more of a study than a library, since it was rather small and sported a fireplace, but the lack of a desk and the great profusion of books had resulted in it being named a library. The thing that made it comfortable was the half a dozen or so armchairs that stood in a semi-circle around the fireplace, along with one couch and a love-seat. Those waiting for us were arrayed in the chairs - except for the twins, who had snagged the couch - which left the love-seat, and one spot on the couch, open. Kari joined Elrohir and Elladan on the couch as we entered, and Glorfindel and I took the empty love-seat. Once I was thoroughly settled, I turned my attention to those waiting patiently around me.  
  
"Some of you probably know why you're here - or think you know why you're here." I began. "But whatever you expected, I can guarantee that you're all up for an eye-opener or two, since some of the things I'm about to tell you I have not told anyone but Glorfindel, who I doubt will have repeated them. And some of you may wonder why exactly I'm telling you all this, when you could just have easily gone without knowing. However, after 800 years, it is no longer dangerous to my health to explain where I come from and what I know, so I want to tell you, friends and people I respect - though I may not act like it -" I gave Galadriel an impish grin, which she responded to with a small smile, "The truth."  
  
I turned to Kari after that and tilted my head in a silent question. She glanced at Elrohir, and he draped his arm around her shoulder, drawing her close. Kari looked back at me and nodded. I gave a nod and returned my attention to the group as a whole. "It is also time, I think, to tell Kari's part of the tale." I said with a small smile. There were some looks of puzzlement among those who knew Kari, but they refrained from asking questions, knowing that whatever they asked would most likely be answered in a short time, anyways.  
  
So I set about explaining how Kari and I came from another world, how we, until recently, knew the future, and then I went quiet for a moment before explaining how Kari and I got to Middle-Earth. The memories were still a little disturbing. Glorfindel, knowing what I was going to describe next, did as Elrohir was doing with Kari and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. The support was enough for me to quietly explain about how Kari and I had died, as best we guessed, before coming to Middle-Earth, and Kari put in the little bits that she could - from Elrohir's lap, since she'd somehow ended up there.  
  
At any rate, everyone was quiet for a time after we finished telling of how we'd come to Middle-earth, most of them apparently either too surprised to speak, or deep in thought. Eventually a few of them brought their attention back and asked a few questions, mostly about how Kari and I knew the future, what these books were like, who wrote them, and so on and so forth.  
  
Eventually, of course, Elrohir and Elladan wanted to know about why I ran away and all that, and I merrily informed them all about Mary-Sues. Why merrily? Because with the revelation at large about Mary-Sues, I could now reveal that Kari had written some such stories. Due to her beet-red face and death glares, however, I did not answer their inquiries about who the main male lead had been in these stories - and the same things turned everyone off of asking the same question of Kari.  
  
More random questions followed that, until eventually the conversation turned to small talk, and people started to leave to go to go about their own business. Haldir, Kari and the twins - along with Glorfindel, who I wouldn't have let move even if he wanted to - were the ones to stay the longest, and I suspected Faramir would have stayed, as well, if he had not had duties to see to.  
  
Since it was just us Elves left in the library, we spoke in Elvish, and talked about just about anything. Elladan managed to get a lunch brought to the library at some point, so we didn't even have to stir to get food, which was fun, since the twins also managed to convince Glorfindel to talk about Gondolin. I, myself, had a nice little nap right after lunch, curled up in Glorfindel's lap in what Kari said was a very cat-like position. Certainly, one of the last things I recalled as I fell asleep was Glorfindel's fingers running lightly through my hair.  
  
My days fell into an easily, pleasant routine after that, and everyone seemed amazed that I, as long as I got out of my room each day, accepted the routine, since I had always been so against boring. As I told them, however, there is a difference between boring and routine. And there were some who were very grateful that I was content, anyways - Arwen was one, since most of my routine days were spent helping her adjust to Gondorian life. Kari and Lady Galadriel aided in that adjustment, of course, but I was in the unique position of actually knowing more about Gondorian customs than Elvish, and yet being Elvish myself and therefore easier for Arwen to talk to than any of the other Gondorian ladies.  
  
Added to this pleasantly peaceful job of helping Arwen adjust was the fact that Glorfindel had permanently moved into my rooms. This, of course, scandalized everyone, considering we weren't married, and most of the ladies of the court, I'm sure, must have thought I was quite the little slut. Then, however, someone started circulating the tale of how I'd almost faded, and Glorfindel had brought me back, and what 'fading' meant and what the bare basics of an Elvish marriage ceremony actually WERE. Miracle of miracles, the disapproval of the ladies disappeared, and for once in my life, I actually found myself on the receiving end of not a few jealous looks.  
  
Of course, this all came to an end after two and a half weeks, when Éomer finally returned to Minas Tirith. It was quite a somber party that arrived, and so there was a quiet reception in one of the halls, no welcoming feast, and then everyone retired for the night, some, like the Elves and the Fellowship, to make preparations to leave the next day.  
  
"I swear I do not know how I managed to get so much stuff in such a short space of time!" Kari complained to me when she arrived in my rooms late in the evening, flopping down into one of the chairs. Glorfindel, already long packed, looked at her in amusement from the couch, where he was sprawled, watching me scurry about packing.  
  
"Elrohir." was all he said, and all three of us in the room chuckled slightly, recalling Elrohir's recently-discovered tendency to give Kari gifts - LOTS of gifts.  
  
"Too true." Kari said. There was silent for a moment, and then Kari turned to watch me curiously as I packed. I was packing with the intention of not returning, though I hadn't told anyone, so I was having some trouble, and Kari seemed to sense this, eventually standing up and coming to inspect what I was packing. She tsked as she saw it.  
  
"Someone looking at your pack would think you are not planning on returning!" she exclaimed, then suddenly eyed me suspiciously. "You are planning on returning, right?" I shrugged in response.  
  
"I don't really know." I replied truthfully, and I instantly had the full attention of both Glorfindel and Kari.  
  
"Why not?" Kari asked. I pointed blandly at Glorfindel.  
  
"There is a one-year betrothal period, you know." Kari said, arching an eyebrow. I nodded.  
  
"And I had hoped that I might use that year to go visit Dol Amroth or Ithilien, or possibly the Lonely Mountain, Eryn Lasgalen, and Laketown." I said.  
  
"With guards, I hope." Glorfindel put in somewhat sternly.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure I could convince either Haldir or Elladan to come along." I said with a shrug. There was a silence.  
  
"So, were you planning on asking if I wanted to come?" Kari asked, tilting her head to one side.  
  
"The thought had occurred to me, yes." I said with a grin. "Do you?"  
  
"Hell yes." Kari said emphatically. "I have no idea how long Elrohir and Elladan intend to stay after Elrond goes, but after just finding you again, I am not letting you out of my sight until a large body of salt water is involved." I grinned slightly, then noticed Glorfindel's slightly confused look.  
  
"The Ringbearers and Keepers are going to be leaving in a little over two years." I explained. "You, if I am not mistaken, are bound to follow Elrond on that little trip. Which means I'll be going with you. Elladan and Elrohir, however, will be staying here for a time."  
  
"Which means Kari shall be remaining, as well." Glorfindel nodded in understanding.  
  
"Exactly." Kari said with a nod. "So we've got a little over two years to cause havoc and general chaos together."  
  
"That might be YOUR plan," I said with mock sternness, "But I intend to stay on the good sides of those ruling the places we're visiting."  
  
"You tend to remain on the good sides of everyone, no matter if you cause chaos and havoc." Glorfindel commented with a smile. I arched an eyebrow at him questioningly. "Do you really think Galadriel would have let someone who caused as much havoc as you stay in Lothlórien if they did not remain on her good side in some manner or another? She would not have been opposed to handing you right back to Elrond." I paused.  
  
"Why do I suddenly feel like a hot potato?" I asked rhetorically. Kari burst out laughing, while Glorfindel just looked confused. I explained the game of 'hot potato' to him while Kari calmed down, and then returned to my packing. Kari put in 'helpful' hints now and again once she'd calmed down, and eventually I had to shoo her out. Once she was gone, however, I managed only a full minute or so of packing before Glorfindel decided he was tired of just watching me.  
  
It was a good thing I was mostly done packing.  
  
----To be continued...with some good ol' Steward Teasing!----  
(Steward!Cousin Teasing also included!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Hee, I have new goldfish, and they're so cute! Well, not compared to puppies or kittns, but hey, I make do with what my mother lets in the house...  
  
ANYWAYS. I made a new Chibi-comic-like thingy for TGotG. It's on my website, under the section set aside for TGotG. I'd put up a direct link to the page for TGotG, but I'm too lazy...and anyways, it isn't that hard to find. It's even the first FanFiction listed on my big page o'fanfics. (Now, try finding Spry Sprite's FanFic on her website - THAT's a challenge. No offence meant, Spry Sprite, I know your site isn't set up for writing like mine is, but I DID get lost several times when I first went looking for 'Insanity Abounds'...)  
  
Right, so, thank you to all my reviewers, you're wonderful people, and I'll see y'all again on Good Friday!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	73. Farewell

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Hmm...It's a holiday. I believe I shall enjoy my holiday and leave the disclaimer to my characters...*disapears*  
  
Glorfindel: *sighs* She always makes us do all the work!  
  
Rachel: Dude, you haven't even been in the last FOUR disclaimers!  
  
Bloomer: That's actually rather sad, since he IS one of the main characters...*fixes gaze on Glorfindel and watches him avidly*  
  
Rachel: *blink*  
  
Glorfindel: CRIMSON STARLIGHT! WARN US BEFORE YOU HAVE REVIEWER CAMEOS! *waits for a response, and finally a note appears*  
  
Rachel: *picks up note and reads out loud* 'But it's much more fun not to. Sincerely, CS. P.S. Look out for Ainu Laire.'  
  
Glorfindel: Who?  
  
Ainu Laire: *appears* Scary Elf-lord! *starts whacking Glorfindel with a pool noodle*  
  
Bloomer: *goes to Glorfindel's rescue*  
  
Rachel: Uh...*eyes the reviewers and Glorfindel nervously*  
  
Glorfindel: Ai, enough of this! *disapears*  
  
Bloomer: Aw, the Elf-lord went away...*pouts*  
  
Rachel: And I think I'm going to follow him...*disapears*  
  
Ainu Laire: Uhm...  
  
Bloomer: Are we the only ones left?  
  
Pool Noodle: No.  
  
Ainu Laire: GAH! *disapears, dropping pool noodle*  
  
Bloomer: *eyes pool noodle, then follows Ainu Laire's example and disapears*  
  
Pool Noodle: *sighs* And none of them even bothered to do the disclaimer while they were here...I guess I shall have to do it. Crimson Starlight owns nothing, though she wishes she did.  
  
(CS: Because a talking pool noodle would be freaking cool!)  
  
-73: Farewell-  
  
"Faramir?" I poked my head into Faramir's study early the next morning, and smiled wryly at the sight that was presented to me - a sleepy Faramir blinking blearily as he lifted his head from his desk, where he had obviously fallen asleep.  
  
"Rachel?" he asked tiredly, and then let out a jaw-cracking yawn. I tsked as I entered the study.  
  
"I shall have to have a talk with that king of yours for overworking you like this." I said, and Faramir gave a small wince.  
  
"That is not necessary, I assure you. It is my own fault for not knowing when to quit." he said.  
  
"Ah. I shall have to inform Éowyn of this tendency then." I said with a smile. Faramir shook his head.  
  
"You worry too much, Rachel." he said with a roll of his eyes. "It was only this once."  
  
"Uh-huh. And how quickly will once become twice, and then thrice, and then the next thing you know, you'll know your desk better than your wife." I said, crossing my arms. Faramir looked mildly insulted, though he knew I was half jesting.  
  
"It is only that there were many preparations to make for the King's departure, and I lost track of the time. When I become more used to my office, I shall be able to handle things better." he insisted, then looked down with a sad frown. "I was not prepared to be a Steward of any type, after all." I winced slightly and came around his desk, leaning up against the back side so I was facing Faramir, and put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"I would have saved Boromir if I could." I said softly. "As it was, it nearly killed me to let him go." Faramir looked at me in surprise, and I gave him a sad smile. "I do not know what you have been told of my recent sickness, but I know you must have guessed by now that I was fading. The direct reason was a fight with Glorfindel - but the fight only came into being because I was a tiny bit over-reactive from excessive grief over Boromir." My wry smile let Faramir know just how not-tiny my over-reactiveness was. He let out a sad smile of his own.  
  
"I do not doubt you found him hard to let him go. Most who knew him would." Faramir said softly.  
  
"For all that the people love you better." I said, my lips twitching in an attempt to smile. Faramir gave me a dry look, silently signaling that this was a topic better left alone.  
  
"At any rate, I didn't come here to talk about what I shall be telling your future wife, nor to talk about your honorably dead brother." I announced, abruptly straightening.  
  
"You had me fooled." Faramir said, a teasing twinkle in his eyes. I whapped him lightly on the arm.  
  
"I AM here to discuss something serious, however." I warned him, and Faramir nodded solemnly.  
  
"What is it that my lady tutor wishes to discuss with me, then?" he asked seriously. I gave him a light glare, and he flashed me an impish grin before turning his gaze quizzical as he looked at me. I bit my lip for a moment, then took a deep breath and spoke.  
  
"I wanted to say good-bye to you now, and to warn you that I might not be coming back." I said. Faramir looked at me in surprise.  
  
"I thought you were going to follow the King and Queen to Isengard, and then return with them?" he asked, and I shook my head.  
  
"I know I told you - and everybody else - that my knowledge of the future was exhausted with the end of the War of the Ring, but I'm afraid that was a small bit of a fib - I know a few more things, and one of them is that Elrond will be going to Valinor in a little over two years. Glorfindel is bound to follow him, and by extension, that means I'll be following." I said, and then sighed slightly before continuing.  
  
"There are, however, still a few places I'd like to see. I had thought to visit Mirkwood, the Lonely Mountain, and Laketown, then go down to Ithilien and Dol Amroth, and afterwards follow the sea shore up to the Grey Havens. I'm also hoping that somewhere in there Glorfindel will get around to proposing, and that will leave a one-year betrothal period during which I will have to occupy myself to keep my mind off of missing him." Faramir looked at me silently for a moment, his face a mix of many different emotions, and then he reached over and hugged me.  
  
"I will not try to persuade you otherwise," he said when he pulled away. "I doubt I could make much of a difference, anyways, as you have been wandering where you will for the past 800 years." We exchanged wry smiles. "I would remind you, however, that Minas Tirith is on the way between Laketown and Ithilien, and I am soon to be in Ithilien myself."  
  
"I know." I said with a small smile. "But I wanted to be sure that you knew that if I'm not back by September two years from now, you can give out my room."  
  
"Never." Faramir said emphatically. "Even if I see you leave for the West with my very own eyes." I chuckled.  
  
"Most definitely as stubborn as Dior." I said, and then I frowned lightly as I eyed him critically. "I must remember to tell Éowyn that story and that you have the same amount of stubbornness." Faramir gave an exasperated sigh.  
  
"By the time you are through filling her with tales, it will be a wonder if Éowyn even still wants to marry me!" he said.  
  
"Oh, she will." I replied cheerfully. "Trust me. Even if Kari and I have to beat her with a blunt object to make her agree."  
  
"You shall do nothing of the sort." Faramir said sternly.  
  
"Alright, fine." I said with a pout. "We'll just point out all your good attributes, then."  
  
"And all their flaws, as well." Faramir said dryly.  
  
"Agh, you are such a pessimist in the morning!" I declared, making a face. "Come on, let's go get breakfast, then it will be time for me and most of the other important people in Minas Tirith to leave."  
  
"Though some may not wish to." Faramir commented as he stood.  
  
"Oh? Who's complaining?" I asked curiously, taking Faramir's offered arm as we left his office.  
  
"Lothíriel." Faramir said with a roll of her eyes. "She has never gone this long away from the sea, and she says it is irritating her. She can't - won't - understand why she must go all the way to Rohan instead of back to Dol Amroth." I blinked.  
  
"Lothíriel? When did she get here?" I asked curiously. I had met Imrahil's daughter only a few times before, and she had seemed to be quite the little lady - not a good thing, in my mind, but hey. She was, basically, a Princess of one of the biggest Kingdoms of the world of Men. She did have her father's adventurous spirit, though, which was good.  
  
"Just a few days ago. Weren't you told?" Faramir asked me curiously.  
  
"Not as far as I know." I replied with an amused shake of my head. Then I turned a mischievous look on Faramir. "But you say she's complaining about going to Rohan, eh?" Faramir glanced at me and sighed.  
  
"No match-making, Rachel! Imrahil would be extremely annoyed if you managed to match his daughter up with a Rohirric lord. And don't even think of matching her with someone with less rank than that, because you know full well I would have to kill whoever it was, by order of Elphir, Erchirion and Amrothos." he said, naming Lothíriel's three brothers.  
  
"Actually, I wasn't thinking of match-making. I was merely being amused by another tidbit of future knowledge." I replied with a smile. Faramir arched an eyebrow at me in a silent comment. "Oh shush. Most of what I know from here on in is personal information, which I could not very well advertise that I had." There was a pause.  
  
"So, if I may be so bold, why have Lothíriel's complaints caught your sense of humour?" Faramir asked finally, as I knew he would.  
  
"Oh, you'll see. You'll see." I said with a smile. I waited until we were right at the hall where we would be having our breakfast before I shot Faramir an amused look and said, "He will be MUCH more than a Rohirric lord, I assure you." Then we were inside the hall, and I detached myself from Faramir and re-attached myself to Glorfindel, who was already sitting and eating. Faramir, to my great amusement, was then snagged by Éomer, who apparently wanted to get to know his future brother-in-law better.  
  
As we were not on that tight of a schedule - Elven magic was making sure Théoden's body was not going to start rotting, stinking, or do anything else similarly gross on us - we didn't actually leave Minas Tirith until mid-morning. The party that headed out was somber, as was fitting, and most of those we passed in the streets were respectfully wearing black, though it was supposedly a time of celebration in the city. It was a touch of respect, however, that visibly touched Éomer, and I knew that if good relations hadn't been cemented between Gondor and Rohan before, they sure were now.  
  
The column of riders was eerily quiet during the first day of riding. I probably could have livened it up a bit if I'd had access to the hobbits and not somehow ended up right behind both Elrond AND Creepy Lady and Celeborn, but there I was. We'd formed up in a rather specific ranking to leave the city, and no-one seemed inclined to break it that first day, though I suspected that tomorrow, those who were not actively guarding would mix around their arrangements a bit so that they could ride near those they wished to talked with. I myself planned to find the hobbits. But that day, I settled for riding along quietly beside Glorfindel, speaking quietly when at all.  
  
We camped late in the evening, and the camp was as subdued as the ride. I contemplated seeing about getting a few musicians going, and livening things up a bit by prodding Celeborn into doing a jig with me, but I figured that there wasn't all that much of a need - and we WERE a funeral escort, after all. I could save the shock of Lothlórien's lord knowing a Rohirric jig for the feast after Théoden's funeral.  
  
The next morning, as expected, riding arrangements got mixed up. The guards remained where they were, for the most part, but those there were guarding went every which-way, so that the guards were quite often no longer guarding anyone of the same race as them, let alone kingdom. The Fellowship, however, seemed to be wanting to stay close to each other and talk today, and they were all clustered back around Aragorn. One did not need to even approach them to know that those not in the Fellowship would not be welcome.  
  
I pondered going and bugging Kari and the twins, but they were apparently trying to keep Elrond from kidnapping Arwen, and Arwen from hitting Elrond over the head with Sam's frying pan, so I decided to let them be. Especially since Creepy Lady was nearby, keeping a close eye on the situation. So that left, unless I wanted to go bug Haldir in his place with the guards, the Rohirric or Dol Amroth contingents.  
  
I had no preference to either contingent, and Glorfindel seemed inclined to go wherever I wanted to - he was eyeing the Elrond/Arwen situation a little warily himself, obviously not wanting to get involved. So, I decided that Rohan was odd, Dol Amroth was even, and went to a random guard and asked him to pick a number between one and twenty-eight. He picked 16, so Glorfindel and I wandered off to the group from Dol Amroth.  
  
Imrahil was pleasantly surprised to see us deciding to ride with him and his daughter - the only one of his children that had returned to Minas Tirith with him for Aragorn and Arwen's wedding, though she looked as if she was regretting doing so now - and welcomed us heartily. His knights, I noticed to my great amusement as we rode, kept shooting sort of hero-worshipping glances at Glorfindel - apparently they'd heard tales of the Balrog-slayer. Lothíriel openly stared, blushing with embarrassment whenever she saw that Glorfindel or I had seen her staring. Finally, late in the morning, I eased Glorfindel into my conversation with Imrahil, then eased myself out and dropped back to Lothíriel, leaving the Elf-Lord and Prince talking.  
  
"And how is Lady Lothíriel enjoying the ride?" I asked her pleasantly. She mumbled a response, her cheeks red. I arched an eyebrow at her. "You know, in my capacity as Tutor, I can only ever remember teaching Boromir and Faramir how to get out of lessons, but I am pretty sure ladies of the realm are not supposed to mumble." Lothíriel sent me a glare.  
  
"The ride is enjoyable, if a little boring." she said stiffly.  
  
"Ah, good. I had heard you were not entirely happy about having to go farther inland instead of back to the sea." I said. "I am glad you are finding the ride enjoyable, however. The scenery is most definitely excellent, wouldn't you agree?" Lothíriel blushed hotter, and I could see she really didn't want to answer. I would have made her do so, but a small acorn bounced off my forehead at that moment. I looked up at Glorfindel with mild annoyance.  
  
"Stop teasing the poor girl, love." he said in Elvish, giving me an amused smile, and then returned to his conversation with Imrahil. I mock-pouted for a moment, then sighed.  
  
"Never mind, don't bother answering." I told Lothíriel, turning back to her. "I was teasing, anyways. Even your knights can't keep their eyes off of him, so I'm not surprised you can't - though I'm sure that there are two rather different reasons involved there." Lothíriel blushed again.  
  
"I suppose." she muttered. There was a moment of awkward silence.  
  
"So I hear that your brothers have recruited help in fending off unworthy suitors." I said finally.  
  
"They have?" Lothíriel asked in surprise.  
  
"Faramir commented that he was supposed to kill anyone less than a Lord who got near you." I replied with a shrug, and Lothíriel groaned.  
  
"Those three will never leave me be!" she said with despair. "Every man I show an interest in, whether or not he be a lord, they have decided is not worthy of me and scared him off!"  
  
"Thus your attraction to my Elf-lord, who your brothers could not possibly disapprove of." I commented with a grin, and Lothíriel blushed again, shooting me a light glare. "Completely understood. But he is MY Elf-lord, and the only such one around here unmarried, anyways - well, except for Elladan, and I don't think you'd want to risk his father's wrath. So we shall have to find you someone else." Lothíriel blinked in surprise.  
  
"What?" she asked, with something akin to horror in her voice.  
  
"Come now, didn't your cousins warn you? I'm a horrible meddler and match-maker." I said with a grin. "Now, how would you like to be a Queen?" And from there, I'm afraid, things just went downhill for Lothíriel.  
  
----To be continued...with more fun with Lothíriel and Éomer!----  
(And why one should be careful when matchmaking!)  
  
-Y'know you write too much LotR FanFiction when:-  
Your spell-checker corrects the accents on characters' names. ('Theoden' to 'Théoden')  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Well, the reviews of the last chapter has shown me one thing: You are all going to really like the chapter(s) where Glorfindel and Rachel get engaged...Heck, I like 'em. But then, for some reason I always like writing those engagement-type chapters...The funnest chapter in 'No Eyes Needed' was the proposal chapter...and I wrote about three or four chapters in a row just to get to the proposal chapter in 'Sightseeing in Middle-Earth'. Guess I'm a romantic at heart. (Not like THAT'S a surprise...after all, one has to be a romantic at heart to write Mary-Sues. And don't try to tell me 'Sightseeing in Middle-Earth' wasn't a Mary-Sue.)  
  
*sings along to Great Big Sea's 'Ordinary Day'*  
  
*cough*  
  
Yeah, I'm feeling the holiday...  
  
So, once more, thanks to all my reviewers, you're absolutely wonderful! Without you, this story probably would have petered out and ended unfinished, or be much much much much MUCH shorter...Sometimes I think that's the reason why my other two fics kinda petered out at around 30 chapters or so...or maybe it's because TGotG actually has a plot other than 'get OFC and hot male together'. Not much of one. But it's there...I mean, hey, the romance factor didn't even enter the story until Chapter 30! (Unless you count Kari and Elrohir. I don't, since the story didn't follow or focus on their relationship...)  
  
Yeah. I'll stop rambling now.  
  
I'll see you all on Sunday. Hopefully. My parents might decide to ban the computer, since it's a holiday Sunday...in which case, I'll be back on Monday. Either way, you'll get an update soon.  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	74. Matchmaking

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Hee. I'm hyper, so I'm not sure if writing the disclaimer at this time is a good idea, but what they hey! I'm the Author, I can do what I want, yes? *grins insanely*  
  
Elladan: And the disclaimers are actually more funny when you're hyper, anyways.  
  
CS: HEY! Elladan! You haven't been in the disclaimer in awhile!  
  
Elrohir: No, neither of us have. You seem to be sticking to the older elf-lords and females...  
  
CS: Yeah...'cept for Galadriel. I ain't letting her in one of my disclaimers again if I can help it. 'Cuz she's creepy, man.  
  
Elrohir: Though I doubt it will make any difference to you, I am and Elf, not a man.  
  
CS: Oh, right, Elf! *brightens* Pointy ears! *pets Elrohir's ears*  
  
Elrohir: *twitchspasms and quickly scoots away*  
  
CS: Hee, you scooted. *follows him and starts tickling, as well as petting, Elrohir's ears*  
  
Elrohir: *edges away* Errr...Elladan, a little help here?  
  
Elladan: *sounding muffled, as he is behind a big bush that magically appeared sometime* I'm a little busy!  
  
Elrohir: It can't possibly be more important that getting CS away from me and thus stopping Kari from dismembering the Author.  
  
Mellon: *peeking out from behind bush* I beg to differ.  
  
CS: I locked Kari up in Thranduil's dungeon, anyway...*grins evilly once more* Now come here.  
  
Elrohir: Meep. CS owns nothing! *takes off running*  
  
CS: *pulls out bike, jumps on, and follows Elrohir*  
  
-74: Matchmaking-  
  
I spent the rest of the morning ride on the second day praising Éomer to Lothíriel, and then, much to Glorfindel's amusement, went off to Éomer and started chatting him up about horses. He seemed quite surprised at my knowledge of the bloodlines of the Rohirric horses, and so I saw fit to explain to him how I'd been in and out of Rohan since it was founded, most often helping out in the stables. After that, Éomer became quite enthusiastic about talking with me.  
  
We stopped rather early - compared to the day before - to camp that night, and so it was that even after the majority of the people around had finished eating, there was still a good amount of light. I had returned to the mainly Elvish part of camp - kingdoms/races seemed to like camping with their own - for supper, but now as I sat on Glorfindel's lap after supper, I found myself eyeing the Rohirric and Dol Amroth camps idle plans forming in my bored mind. Kari, who had taken a break from trying to smooth things over between Elrond and Arwen, could apparently see the thoughts running through my head, and soon joined me in glancing between the two camps, a light smirk playing over her face as thoughts ran around inside her own head.  
  
"What are you two planning?" Elladan asked, appearing suddenly. I eeped and would have fallen off of Glorfindel if he hadn't grabbed my waist.  
  
"How to convince you to wear bells so we can hear you coming." I replied sulkily. Elladan arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Nothing, really." Kari said honestly. "Just idle thoughts about how to get a certain lady from Dol Amroth and a Rohirric King together."  
  
"And why do you wish to do that?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"Because it'll be fun!" I replied cheerfully.  
  
"In the sense that she hates Rohan, and he cannot leave his Kingdom, therefore they will both steadfastly fight against you every step of the way?" Elladan asked, his eyebrow arching higher.  
  
"Yeah, well, we have fate on our side." I replied with a smirk. Both of Elladan's eyebrows shot up.  
  
"Hey, would you want to advertise that you knew when someone was going to get married, and to whom, and how many children they would have when, and what they'd name them?" Kari asked, arching an eyebrow at him.  
  
"I suppose not." Elladan said with a small smile. "Very well then. I feel the need for a little meddling - what sorts of plans do you have?" Kari and I looked at Elladan in surprise, and he shrugged somewhat sheepishly. I looked behind me to Glorfindel.  
  
"Perhaps we could all use a little distraction from the conflict between Elrond and Arwen?" he suggested serenely, then grinned and gave me a kiss. I turned back to Kari and Elladan with a grin. Kari immediately moved so she was now sitting next to Glorfindel and me, instead of practically across the fire from us, and Elladan sat down on Glorfindel's and my other side. Then we began to plan, as only four bored, mischievous Elves could.  
  
By the end of the night, we had figured out multiple ways to get Lothíriel and Éomer alone together, as well as determining situations that show off their best attributes to each other. We knew we had 23 days until Lothíriel and Éomer would be separated, so that helped a lot, and we soon had a sort of schedule for when we were going to do certain things. My knowledge of the Rohirrim proved to be invaluable, while Kari determined that she would start chatting Lothíriel up so that we could get some information of Dol Amroth customs.  
  
In the end, we were the last in the camp, besides guards, to get to bed, and that was probably a rather good thing, as we all had extremely smug looks on our faces. Anyone who had seen them probably would have stopped us and demanded to know what we were up to or had done just on principle. But there was no one to stop us and ask for an explanation, and so Lothíriel and Éomer's fates were sealed - more than they had been, at any rate.  
  
And from the next morning onwards, I don't think Lothíriel and Éomer even knew what hit them. With the four of us - and later Elrohir and, briefly, Éowyn - set on making them at least consider the other as a prospective partner before August 14th, they really had little choice in the matter. Which, I suppose, shouldn't have made it such a surprise when we succeeded so spectacularly. How spectacularly?  
  
Well, first off, on the 13th, there was a nice little (ok, really fricking big) party for those of us that would be leaving - aka, the Elves, the Gondorians, and those from Dol Amroth. This involved not a small amount of alcoholic beverages, and quite a lot of vigorous dancing. I had stuck by Lothíriel most of the evening, trying to encourage her to try dancing, but she was having none of it. So, when Celeborn finally appeared in front of me and politely requested a dance, I decided to let her mull over this dancing idea for a bit and went out with Celeborn.  
  
Now, this was rather late in the evening, and this was the first time any Elf other than I had stepped onto the dance floor. Well, Arwen and Aragorn had gotten out and danced at one point, quite shocking everybody, but Arwen didn't really count as an Elf anymore. Though Elrond would disagree. At any rate, Celeborn and I attracted attention, and eventually it turned out that most of the dance floor cleared to let us go at it. Only one other couple braved going out there while we were on it. And I know you've guessed who it was - Lothíriel and Éomer.  
  
I was quite pleased when I noticed this, and only a little annoyed when I saw that Lothíriel was dancing the Rohirric jig perfectly. Oh well. The dance eventually ended, much to the watchers dismay and my relief, and I found myself leaning on Glorfindel, feeling rather tired. Glorfindel apparently took that as a sign that I was still not completely better and had over-extended myself, and took me off to bed.  
  
There was just one tiny little problem with this. In my attempts to get Lothíriel out dancing, I had given her quite a bit of alcohol, and Éomer had a reputation among his men to keep up and had thus been drinking quite a bit of alcohol himself. This would not, perhaps, have been a bad thing, if it was not for the fact that the plan to get Éomer and Lothíriel together had been kept quiet due to the possible repercussions from Imrahil - and thus, no one who was not helping with The Plan even knew about it. And by the time Glorfindel got me out of the hall where our little celebration was taking place, Elrohir and Kari had already staggered off for some night-time fun, Éowyn had retired, looking only a little woozy, and Elladan had disappeared.  
  
So that left a drunk Lothíriel and Éomer together, both attracted to each other, and no one around the wiser. And Éomer was a good friend of Imrahil's, and thus considered to be someone 'safe' to leave Lothíriel around.  
  
All of Edoras was woken the next morning by an angry Imrahil trying to find his daughter. And, unfortunately, someone eventually thought to ask the King if he had seen Lothíriel. Fortunately, I was around when that idea was voiced. The wheels spun quickly in my head and I quickly said that I would go wake him. I went quickly to Éomer's rooms, not even bothering to knock when I entered, though I made sure to shut the doors behind me so no one walking by could see in.  
  
Sure enough, when I opened the bedroom door and looked in, there were Éomer and Lothíriel - awake, though none the less naked and wrapped around each other and in the same bed. They were apparently so absorbed in each other - and they weren't even kissing, just talking softly - that they hadn't noticed the commotion outside, nor me enter. Though I don't really blame them for not noticing me enter - Elven stealth and all.  
  
"Your father is going to kill...everyone." I announced, and both Éomer and Lothíriel jumped in surprise. Éomer quickly whirled around - thank goodness for the sheet - while Lothíriel sort of huddled behind him.  
  
"What are you doing here, Lady Rachel?" Éomer asked, managing to sound quite dignified.  
  
"Attempting to avert a war between Rohan and Dol Amroth." I replied with a sigh.  
  
"Daddy's mad?" Lothíriel guessed with a cringe, and I nodded vigorously.  
  
"And he doesn't even know where you are yet. Thank the Valar he was far too drunk to remember who he last saw you with." I said. "If you hurry and are very very careful, you just MIGHT get out of this with all body parts intact." I aimed that last remark at Éomer, and he winced visibly. "Now come on, Lothíriel, get up and dressed. You too, Éomer. Imrahil wants your help in finding his daughter." There was a pause, and I gave them an impatient look. "I'm not leaving you two alone in here. You will never come out if I do."  
  
"We would!" Lothíriel protested.  
  
"After an hour or so, when Imrahil finally got sick of waiting for the King and started banging on the door." I replied crisply. "Now stop arguing and get dressed." The two did so, quickly. "Right, Éomer, go calm Imrahil down, and pretend you have no idea where Lothíriel is. Lothíriel, come with me." I went over to the window, and Lothíriel followed, only looking back at Éomer longingly twice.   
  
As Lothíriel and I clambered out the window of Éomer's room, I silently thanked every deity I could think of that Meduseld was only one story high. There was, of course, a steep hill leading up to the sides of the building, to help make attack more difficult, but it wasn't too difficult for Lothíriel and I to get down. And, fortunately, since they were expecting people to be sneaking INTO Meduseld, not out, the guards that watched around the hall all had their attention directed outwards. So Lothíriel and I were able to slip out of Meduseld completely unnoticed.  
  
"Now what?" Lothíriel asked me once we were clear of the building.  
  
"Now," I said, sounding more confident than I felt, "We think up an alibi for you." Lothíriel looked at me incredulously.  
  
"You haven't thought of one already?!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Oh hush. I'm trying as best I can here. And shouldn't you have a headache that makes speaking that loudly painful?" I demanded.  
  
"Don't remind me." Lothíriel grimaced, and I smirked slightly before I remembered that it was partly my fault she had the hangover. I sobered quickly and started thinking.  
  
"Y'know, if this was Minas Tirith, this would be SO much easier." I said after a time.  
  
"Why?" Lothíriel asked curiously.  
  
"Because I could simply say you snuck out to find a more exciting celebratory party in some other part of the city. But in Rohan, you find little difference, except in the quantity and quality of food, between the celebrations for the commoners and the celebrations for the nobles." I replied.  
  
"Oh." Lothíriel said, frowning lightly. There was a pause, and then, as I looked over at Lothíriel, what we'd just said sunk in.  
  
"Except you didn't know that until I told you just now, did you?" I said with a small smile. Lothíriel blinked, and then nodded. "Then use that excuse we shall!"  
  
"But you just said -" Lothíriel stopped, blinked twice, and then realization hit, and she grinned - then promptly winced, holding her head. I held in a chuckle.  
  
"Right. So, let's go and quietly find the disaster zone left from a party, and then make our way noisily up to Meduseld from there." I said. Lothíriel nodded - cautiously, I noted - and so we set off. It wasn't too long until we found a square that had evidences of a party in it, and Lothíriel crept into a dark corner, being sure not to be seen. Then I strode in purposefully and started looking around with authority. A few women looked at me curiously, and I went over and asked if they'd seen the Lady Lothíriel around. They shook their heads and went back to what they were doing.  
  
I poked around the square for awhile longer, and then did a methodical search through the shadows - anyone could see what I was doing, and quite a few looked amused. Their looks turned startled when, upon finding Lothíriel, I let out a loud 'AHA!' and hoisted her to her feet, pretending to support her as I hauled her out of the corner.  
  
I must admit, Lothíriel is a great actor. She managed to do a perfect imitation of a hung-over partier just woken up. Of course, except for the just woken up part, she actually was all those things, so maybe it wasn't so much great acting as it was letting her self-control go. But, unfortunately, her acting wasn't enough to counteract parental intuition. All it took was five minutes in the same room as both Éomer and Lothíriel, and Imrahil knew what had happened. Éomer is very very lucky Imrahil hadn't had time to strap on his sword yet. As it was, Glorfindel AND Elladan had to pull him off.  
  
"Imrahil, PLEASE calm down." I pleaded with him as he stood between the two Elf-lords, glaring at a nervous-looking Éomer. The fact that Lothíriel was standing right at Éomer's side, holding onto his arm and looking at him in concern, did not help Imrahil's mood much.  
  
"I will NOT!" Imrahil snarled. "I trusted you, Éomer!" Éomer stiffened, and I could see him about to reply, but I knew that, with all three of them having hangovers, and two male ego's and a sense of fatherly duty involved, nothing good would come of allowing them to talk until they had calmed down somewhat.  
  
"Éomer is not at fault here, Imrahil." I stated, cutting off whatever Éomer had been about to say.  
  
"Who is, then? Lothíriel?" Imrahil asked sarcastically.  
  
"In the sense that she can make her own decisions, yes, sort of." I conceded, and felt Lothíriel's glare on my back. "But no, not really. If anyone is to blame for this, it's me." Glorfindel and Elladan both looked at me sharply, realizing I was going to take the blame for it all.  
  
"What?" Imrahil asked blankly, his shock immediately pushing aside his anger.  
  
"Well, um, I was sorta giving Lothíriel drinks most of last night." I said with a tentative smile.  
  
"That means nothing. I would not have accepted or drank them if I had not wanted to." I heard Lothíriel's cross voice from behind me. "You are not at fault." Elladan coughed lightly. As Elves don't cough naturally, this caused all eyes to be turned to him.  
  
"Actually...she is. She has been, um, encouraging the two of them since we left Minas Tirith?" he said somewhat sheepishly. "As have I." Imrahil's eyes widened, and then, almost fearfully, he turned to Glorfindel, who gave a sheepish shrug. Imrahil groaned and sat down on the floor, putting his face in his hands.  
  
"Honest, though, we didn't intend to succeed so spectacularly." I said hurriedly, glancing over my shoulder at Lothíriel and Éomer. They both looked confused. There was a moment of silence, and then Imrahil raised his head and looked at me.  
  
"So let me get this straight. You, Lord Elladan, and Lord Glorfindel -"  
  
"And Elrohir, Kari and Éowyn." I put in, not willing to let anyone off now that our little conspiracy had come out. Imrahil gave me a resigned looked before continuing.  
  
"You all conspired to get my daughter and Éomer together?" he said. I nodded. He shot me a baffled look. "WHY?"  
  
"Um...they look cute together?" I said. Imrahil heard the questioning tone to it, however, and arched an eyebrow, his disbelief clear. "Er..." I looked to Glorfindel and Elladan for help, not wanting, at this moment, to admit to Imrahil that I still did have information about the future.  
  
"I saw it in my grandmother's mirror." Elladan intoned blandly. Imrahil turned his disbelieving look to Elladan. "Well, I saw them getting married. Saw Éowyn and Faramir, too, along with many other marriages. I told Elrohir about what I'd seen, he told Kari, she spoke of it to Rachel and Glorfindel, and then one evening when we were bored, we decided to just...help fate along. Éowyn came in after we reached Edoras." Imrahil eyed Elladan for a moment. I could tell he knew this wasn't the truth, but I could also see that he knew he wasn't going to get anymore out of us. He sighed.  
  
"Éomer, I would like to speak with you for a moment - alone." Imrahil said, standing up and shooting pointed glares at the three Elves in the room. Elladan and I looked sheepish, but Glorfindel shot Éomer a look, arching an eyebrow. Éomer motioned that it was all right, though he eyed Imrahil nervously as the two of them left the room. Silence fell once they were gone.  
  
"You PLANNED this?" Lothíriel finally demanded.  
  
"Not the whole sleeping together part, no. But the whole getting you two together thing, yeah." I replied. Lothíriel stared at me for a moment.  
  
"I don't know whether to hate you or thank you." she said.  
  
"Um, well, if it's the former, remember that I had five accomplices." I said, smiling somewhat nervously. Lothíriel shook her head and sat down in a chair to wait for Éomer and Imrahil to return. Elladan, Glorfindel and I exchanged looks and beat a hasty retreat to the stables to ready our horses for the trip that was still yet to come that day.  
  
----To be continued...with curious minds being poked!----  
(And many other things, including the ever-amusing Lindir!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Yeah, um, I should probably warn all you reviewers that things are going to start moving a little more quickly now. The way I have things written, there is a lot of narrative, which I lean towards doing at the end of most of my stories, so some things that you might have looked forward to might be glossed over somewhat. I apologize if this disapoints you, but the two chapters devoted entirely to Glorfindel FINALLY proposing should make up for this. As should the rather funny anecdotes that do slip into the narrative.  
  
Hmmm, now that was odd, 'Ordinary Day' was playing as I wrote that, like it was when I wrote the first paragraph of my last Author's Note...how odd.  
  
IT'S A CONSPIRACY! RUN!  
  
*ahem* Sorry, too much chocolate and Thranduil fanfic. It's an even worse combination than sugar and Glorfindel/Erestor slash...but then, the latter tends to incite giddy gigglyness, while the former is more hyper-insanity-inspiring.  
  
...  
  
Thank you reviewers, you are all wonderful people, nevermind that sometimes all I know about you is that you can spell 'good work, more soon please' corrently. correctly. While I, apparently, can't even spell 'correctly' correvtly...correctly. Dammit...  
  
I'm going to shut up now before I miss-spell some absurbly simple word like 'I'. Of...*shakes head* Or 'or'. *bangs head against wall*  
  
~Crimson Starlight  
(See y'all Tuesday!)  
  
P.S. Revised a bit of chapter 69. Go see revision author's note in that chappy for more detail. 


	75. Escape

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Because some people may have been somewhat curious about, or mentally damaged by wondering, what Mellon and Elladan were doing behind a bush in the last disclaimer, I thought I would use this disclaimer to reassure you that everything going on behind said bush was entirely PG-13 rated. Not NC-17 rated, as was implied.  
  
Some People: *don't believe CS*  
  
CS: *sighs* Here, I'll show you. *pulls bush away to reveal Elladan sitting across from Mellon, in only his trousers, the rest of his clothes - and weapons - being in a pile next to Mellon, while her shoes and socks are sitting next to Elladan. Between them is a monopoly board.*  
  
Elladan: *looks up blinks, murmurs a greeting, then returns his attention to the board*  
  
Mellon: *distractedly* Hi CS.  
  
CS: ...are you playing strip monopoly?!  
  
Mellon: *looks up* Huh? Oh, yeah. It's quite fun. Especially since I 'lost' the rules, so Elladan couldn't read them.  
  
CS: Er...that was strategic.  
  
Elladan: *still watching the board* Indeed.  
  
Mellon: *nods* I also instituted a special rule that you can offer to remove clothing to trade for properties.  
  
CS: ...damn. Why didn't I think of this before? *wanders off to find a sexy Elf-lord to play strip monopoly with*  
  
Elladan: *looks up* CS owns nothing. *pulls bush back in front of him and Mellon*  
  
-75: Escape-  
  
We actually did manage to leave Edoras that day, and without leaving and corpses in our wake, too. Though Éomer was looking so pale he was probably going to go and get drunk or collapse into bed as soon as we left - and Lothíriel had acquired a ring on her finger sometime during the day.  
  
Elladan, Glorfindel and I made it our duty, as soon as we set out, to track down Elrohir and Kari and inform them of what had happened, and therefore letting them know that going near Imrahil anytime soon probably wouldn't be all that good of an idea. Unfortunately, Elrond overheard us telling them this, and demanded a full explanation. I managed to get a glimpse of Imrahil and Lothíriel during the lecture that followed, and I swear I have never seen a smirk that big on a man's face. Lothíriel almost looked like she wanted to help us, but she also looked somewhat afraid - of both her father and Elrond, I'd guess - and amused.  
  
At any rate, once Elrond was done ranting at us (in Sindarin, of course, though it didn't matter much as everybody could guess what he was saying) Glorfindel and I went back to the rearguard and joined them, talking quietly and attempting to attract as little attention as possible, while Elladan, Elrohir and Kari stuck to Aragorn and the Fellowship.  
  
And so, for the next few days, those of us that had conspired to get Lothíriel and Éomer together stayed very very quiet and inconspicuous - though it didn't stop the disapproving looks from both Imrahil and Elrond. Everyone else just looked amused - except for Lothíriel, who started out amused, but soon became exasperated.  
  
Eventually, Lothíriel decided to ease things a bit, and rode over to where the five of us conspirators were currently riding near the back of the column and joined us. She just stayed on the outside of the group for a bit, listening, and we politely switched from Sindarin to Common so she could understand our conversation. After awhile, she started joining in on the conversation, and we ended up spending the entire day talking to her. At one point she actually - quietly - thanked us for what we did, and I think our relief that SOMEONE appreciated what we did must have been pretty obvious, because she giggled slightly before we continued on to other topics.  
  
And then, at last, it was time for the Gondorian and Dol Amroth contingents to head for home. The Fellowship made a sad little group of their own off to the side, and everyone else mingled together, saying goodbye to new-found friends and companions, but in the end, it took us little over an hour to separate and get going our different ways. It was not until we reached Isengard and Legolas and Gimli went to depart that anyone other than my immediate travelling companions realized I was still with the company, and had not gone off with Aragorn.  
  
There was a short kafluffle at that realization - apparently most of the Elves had thought I'd be going with Aragorn - and during the kafluffle, as if on cue, one of the scouts from the Dol Amroth contingent rode up. He started speaking with Elrond, then spotted me and made a beeline in my direction. He said nothing, but handed me a letter, and then turned and rode off again. I arched an eyebrow and looked at the letter - and the official seal that held it closed.  
  
"Curious minds wish to know." Kari said from my side, looking at the letter.  
  
"Mm-hm. I'm not sure I WANT to know, though." I said with a light frown.  
  
"I do even if you do not." Kari said, making a grab for the letter. I pulled it out of the range of her hands, then poked her and moved Aratelpe out of the way of Kari's avenging poke and opened the letter. It had obviously been quickly written, what with the somewhat shaky script and informal wording, but the essence of it was what mattered.  
  
And what was the essence of it? Imrahil thanking me and my 'co-conspirators', and inviting us all to Dol Amroth, and the wedding if, as he suspected, one came of this. That was, of course, a subtle reminder that he knew our reasons weren't the ones Elladan had claimed they were, but the rest of the letter let us know that he really didn't mind as much as he'd shown. It was more that it was unexpected, he said, that bothered him. Heck, if we'd told him ahead of time, he probably would have helped us. Or so he said.  
  
I passed the letter around to Glorfindel, Kari, Elladan and Elrohir once I was done reading it, and though we let no one else read it, or know what it said, we took the bit of approval for what it was and returned to our mischievous ways. After all, with both Arwen and Aragorn gone, Elrond needed SOMEBODY to blow a gasket at, otherwise he might spontaneously combust. Not that Elrond was always mad or anything, but if he was left to ride by himself with no conversation for very long, he started brooding, and then he got in a sour mood, and the only thing that would break him out of it was a rant at someone.  
  
The rest of the time, however, Elrond was actually amazingly pleasant to be around. More so than Galadriel, at any rate - though less so than Celeborn. I doubt any of the Elvish rulers (except maybe Gil-galad, from what Glorfindel says) could top Celeborn, though. I mean, where else are you going to find a sparklie-loving, jig-dancing Elvish ruler with a sense of humour?  
  
Anyways. The rest of the trip back to Rivendell was actually rather boring. Before Galadriel, Celeborn, and the Lothlórien contingent split off, I got a few lessons in with Haldir, and invited him - Eru knows why - to join Kari and me on our later travels across Arda. He said that he'd have to see if he was needed in Lothlórien when the time came. Which was fine with me, of course, since as soon as I invited him, I realized how unpleasant that could be.  
  
Besides Haldir, however, no one else was told about the planned last tour of Arda until we reached Rivendell, where we were greeted by Lady Valinlot. We informed her of our plan almost the first night back, and she was rather disappointed that we weren't going to be staying long, though she did not volunteer to go with us.  
  
After explaining to Lady Valinlot, we found that we had to explain our intentions to Rivendell at large, and especially Elrond, since, if we wanted to get over the mountains before winter set in - a very GOOD idea, Glorfindel informed us - we needed to leave immediately. Elrond, amazingly, didn't seem the least bit surprised that Kari and I wanted to travel more, and after a days consideration, all but ordered Elladan, Elrohir and Glorfindel to go with us. He also threw in Lindir, just for good measure - he claimed that the bard could probably talk us out of any trouble we managed to get ourselves into. Lindir was less sure of his abilities, but did not protest to going with us as we headed off on the 29th of September.  
  
We managed to cross the Misty Mountains with very little trouble, and came to the edge of Mirkwood - or rather, Eryn Lasgalen - at the beginning of November. Kari and I, remembering 'The Hobbit', were a little leery of entering the woods, but they did seem to be much more cheerful than the way we remembered them described, and the other Elves in our company went in happily enough. So the two of us just chalked our reactions up to nerves, pushed them aside, and followed in.  
  
We hadn't gotten far into Eryn Lasgalen when we were found by a patrol of Elves who were apparently out spider hunting. At the revelation that the spiders were not yet all gone, Kari and I practically glued ourselves to our Elf-lords' sides. Much to the amusement of the native elves, of course. Kari and I made faces at them behind their backs in revenge.  
  
One member of the Eryn Lasgalen patrol then split off and acted as our guide, leading us to the palace, where we were greeted in the courtyard by none other than Thranduil. I blinked in surprise when I saw him standing there and realized who he was, then shook my head at myself as I remembered exactly who I was traveling with. Everybody else already knew Thranduil, of course, and they all greeted him cheerily enough, and then Thranduil turned his attention to me.  
  
Let me tell you, having Thranduil's attention focused on you is ten times worse than having Galadriel's. She, at least, doesn't make you feel like she's going to eat you if you displease her. Thranduil does. It was unnerving beyond belief, and I was eternally grateful that Glorfindel stepped in to introduce me to Thranduil after only a few moments.  
  
"Rachel?" Thranduil said when he heard my name, frowning slightly as he looked at me in puzzlement. He'd evidently heard that story, then.  
  
"It's a very long story that, if you REALLY want to hear, I can tell you later." I replied with a sigh. Thranduil nodded, and we were then shown to our rooms and given a quick tour of the palace by the one-and-only Queen Brethigol of Eryn Lasgalen (yep, she was still alive, and worried, as any good mother would be, about her son, though we quickly laid those worries to rest). She was truly amazing - a very nice lady, Brethigol (as she insisted I call her) didn't ooze power and strength like her husband and Galadriel, but she had a way of commanding that made everyone sit up and listen. I had the distinct feeling that if someone didn't listen to her, she would probably only have to say a few words and they'd feel guilty about it. In short, she was lovable.  
  
We stayed in Eryn Lasgalen until the fifth of November - and yes, I did eventually explain the whole story to Thranduil, who found it rather fascinating - then we went off to Laketown. We rented rooms in an Inn there, much to the surprise of the inhabitants, who were apparently used to Elves just passing through, and stayed there until the new year. At that point, Kari, Glorfindel and I left the rest of our party and made a short trip up to the Lonely Mountain, and, due to the fact that Gimli had just returned not to long ago and vouched for us as 'good elves', we got a tour of the mines. The Dwarves seemed rather creeped out by the fact that I enjoyed their home, and the explanation that it was warm and cozy didn't help any. I just gave up trying to explain it in the end - as did the dwarves.  
  
We only stayed in the Lonely Mountain for a week, and then returned to Laketown and the rest of our party on the 7th of January. Elladan and Elrohir were just getting settled in enough to have a REALLY good time, so we hauled them out of there as fast as we could, heading back to Eryn Lasgalen to spend the remainder of the winter there.  
  
Since Gimli had returned, Legolas was also back, and we - along with most of the other inhabitants of the woods - got to be spectators to several spectacular explosions between the Prince and his father about the proposed colony in Ithilien. Apparently Thranduil was of the opinion that the Elves were going to be leaving soon, anyways, so why should they go about building new settlements? Legolas' arguments were that if that was the case, why had they bothered to clean up Eryn Lasgalen? In the end, however, Brethigol cornered her son and husband and made them sit down and talk to each other, and by the time we left in late March, Legolas had his permission to move some elves to Ithilien sometime within the next few years.  
  
Once spring came around and our traveling companions somehow managed to agree that yes, the mountains should be safe to cross now, we said goodbye to Eryn Lasgalen and all the friends we'd made there and headed off for Rivendell once again. It was actually surprising how easily Kari and I got along in Eryn Lasgalen - even Elladan and Elrohir, normally at home anywhere, found it hard to fit in there. Lindir was the one who pegged down the reason as we stopped a few hours after we'd left Eryn Lasgalen and turned to look back.  
  
"They do not show their age as those of the other kingdoms, and they have less cares, for all that they had the most trouble of anyone with their home." he said, then turned to Kari and I with a small grin. "They also like shiny things, which makes them exactly like you two."  
  
"Hey! Rachel's the one who likes shiny things!" Kari protested.  
  
"Oh indeed?" Lindir said, arching an eyebrow challengingly, and he and Kari were off on a verbal sparring match. I'd learned, since I'd met Lindir, that he and Kari often did that - they were, in a strange way, almost like Haldir and I, only they got along most of the time and just debated when they found a good topic, whereas Haldir and I did not get along the majority of the time and insulted at every opportunity instead of debating. Elladan made a comment about it reflecting the combined intelligence of the two involved when I mentioned it to him, and he shortly found himself skinny-dipping in the COLD lake that gave Laketown its name, as that was where we were at the time I made the observation.  
  
Gotta love having your own Elf-lord.  
  
And speaking of my Elf-lord, the trip back to Rivendell, especially with it being spring, brought to light for Kari and me one very important thing - or, more importantly, the lack of a very important thing. That should, by all rights, already be on my finger. I had a momentary panic attack the evening that Kari and I first really talked about it, thinking Glorfindel had changed his mind about marrying me, but Kari simply hit me upside the head and told me to stop being an idiot. One Elf-lord cuddling session later, all was good with the world once again.  
  
Except that I was still lacking that little band of metal on my finger. Kari and I discussed it during the ride the next day, and we wondered if perhaps there was some old Gondolin tradition that Glorfindel might be trying to follow, so before we decided to start dropping hints in Glorfindel's direction, we brought Lindir in on the conversation. He seemed extremely amused by the whole thing, and after he hemmed and hawed for a good five minutes, I pushed him off his horse. When the bard resumed his seat some moments later, following much teasing from the other three in the group and with as much dignity as he could muster given the circumstances, he informed us that there was no Gondolin tradition that he could recall that would be causing Glorfindel to hesitate. So began the plans to start dropping hints in Glorfindel's direction.  
  
Those plans were promptly dropped, however, as we realized that we were being, from a Middle-Earth standpoint, far too subtle. Though judging from his knowing grins, Lindir caught on with what we were trying to do. In fact, the night after we first noticed his knowing grins, he proved that he had caught on, as he decided, not for the first time on our journey, to grace us with a song. For the first time during the journey, however, he picked a very sappy love song to sing - by the end of it, Kari and I were both sitting in our Elf-lords laps. Elladan, seeing this, decided that he needed to sit in someone's lap, too, and somehow managed to plop himself down in Lindir's lap. The bard yelped, pushed the peredhel off, and things just degenerated from there as they only can when Elladan's involved. Kari and I, recalling slash FanFiction from back home, were twice as amused as our Elf-lords by the whole thing, and were still giggling whenever our eyes met the next day.  
  
----To be continued...with plotting!----  
(And sprucing up of Glorfindel's study!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Hmm, for some reason I thought I was supposed to update tomorrow...must be old habits decideding to surface...  
  
Anyways. I finally figured out where the Lothlorien Elves went after Galadriel departed. Cuz, y'know, Galadriel goes to Valinor, then Celeborn goes to live with his grandsons in Rivendell, and, well, we all know what happened to the only kid of theirs Tolkien mentioned. So I always wondered what happened to the elves in Lothlorien after that. And I finally found out while randomly browsing through the Encyclopedia of Arda while doing research. The Lothlorien Elves went and lived in the south of Eryn Lasgalen - aka, Mirkwood.  
  
...  
  
Haldir in Mirkwood. Why do I find that hard to picture? But hmm...Thranduil and Haldir standing next to each other...*twitchspasm* Urg, add one more sexy Elf-lord to that mix and it would be Elf-lord overload...Hm. I bet Celeborn had to see about getting the Elves settled in Eryn Lasgalen before going to Rivendell. *adds Celeborn to the mental picture* *falls over* Elf-lord overload.  
  
*gets back up* Anywho. I've forgotten to say the last few chapters, but I put up another new TGotG-related Chibi drawing on my website. 'Tis of what probably would have happened had Rachel looked in Galadriel's Mirror. Didn't actually happen, as we all know, but y'know that would've been Rachel's response to it.  
  
So, thank you to all my reviewers, you're wonderful people for having stuck with me through 75 frigging chapters - and you're just as wonderful if you're one of the reviewers that hasn't been with me from the beginning, but decided to make a stab at catching up somewhere along the way and then continuing to follow along. All the praise and ego-boosting you people give me makes me feel sad that this story will be ending soon...*sniffle*  
  
I'm going to go find some more chocolate. See y'all Thursday.  
~Crimson Starlight 


	76. Thwarting

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: *throwing random junk out of the nice swirly void-place that is the Disclaimer setting*  
  
Elrohir: Er...Spring cleaning time, I'm guessing?  
  
CS: Yep.  
  
Elladan: Um...I'm almost afraid to ask where all that junk is going.  
  
CS: Black hole. It'll probably either end up on the Andromeda Ascendant or in the SGC, since it's a FanFic Author's black hole...*holds up a mutilated calculator for a moment before tossing it into the black hole* But hey, they'll have fun trying to figure out what all this junk is, and what it does, before realizing it actually is nothing more than junk.  
  
Elladan: *grabs a wineskin as CS goes to throw it into the hole* Hey! That's still good!  
  
CS: *shrugs, continues throwing things out*  
  
Elladan and Elrohir: *watch*  
  
Elrohir: Sooo...you're idea of spring cleaning is throwing everything out, I take it?  
  
CS: Well, when you can just zap up anything you need...  
  
Elrohir: Point.  
  
CS: *finishing* It does need some airing out, though. *wrinkles nose* This disclaimer void smells. *brightens* Oooh, I know just the thing! *disapears*  
  
Elladan: Um, while she's gone, I suppose we should do the disclaimer, since I doubt we'll get the chance when she gets back.  
  
Elrohir: Yes. CS owns *looks around* quite literally nothing...except a big void and a black hole that she uses for garbage disposal.  
  
Elladan: And we're not even sure if she owns that...she said something about Author Powers and Homes being leased for the duration of stories at some point...  
  
Elrohir: True...  
  
CS: *reapears, with Lightning Rain*  
  
Lightning Rain: *runs to the twins and hugs them*  
  
Elrohir: ...why does it suddenly smell like rosemary?  
  
CS: *smirks* Yep, reviewers are handy people to have around.  
  
-76: Thwarting-  
  
We arrived back in Rivendell in late May, and found ourselves cheerily greeted by all that were there. Except for Elrond. Who, apparently, had very severely missed his sons and his seneschal. At least, that's what Erestor told us with a grin as Elrond ordered the three of them back to their duties within a day of our return.  
  
At any rate, now back in Rivendell and with all of Kari's Rivendell lady friends at our disposal - most whom were sympathetic, if slightly jealous - we set about dropping Glorfindel hints again. He remained as oblivious as always, and finally, near the end of June, a month after our return, I decided some more drastic action needed to be taken. It was time to announce that Kari and I were going to head off for Ithilien and Dol Amroth.  
  
Glorfindel took the news quite well, and it seemed for a few days as if the reality of it wouldn't hit, but then, while he, Kari and I were in his study/playground late one afternoon, randomly practicing weaponry while chatting, Elrohir came in, looking upset, and announced that Elrond wouldn't let him go with us. No sooner had he said that, then one of the Rivendell pages arrived with a message for Glorfindel.  
  
The page disappeared directly after delivering the message, and if that wasn't enough warning about what was inside the message, the seal and Glorfindel's face as he read the message let us to know what was in the message. Kari and I backed away slightly from the stormy look on Glorfindel's face, suddenly glad that we'd been up mock-sparring - and therefore a good distance away from Glorfindel - when Elrohir came in. Elrohir himself seemed to want to run and hide, though he apparently found it difficult to move at all. I decided to step in, however, when I saw Glorfindel glance almost longingly towards the weapons hung up behind him.  
  
"He IS your liege lord." I reminded him sternly, and Glorfindel gave a half-sigh, half-growl.  
  
"You two going out by yourselves was bad enough when there was a war on." he said. "I do not wish to have you go off like that again."  
  
"But it won't be like that again." I pointed out. I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, that Kari and Elrohir were discreetly making their way out the door. I sent a mental thanks in their direction as I went over to Glorfindel and sat down in his lap. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close, burying his face in my hair, as I continued, "There is no war going on now, for one thing, and therefore there are no large armies of Orcs wandering around. A few small bands, perhaps, but nothing Kari and I can't handle. And at any rate, Lindir said before that he wanted to come with us again, and there's a good chance we might pick up Haldir - and/or one of his brothers - when we pass through Lothlórien." I felt Glorfindel sigh again.  
  
"I know." he said. "But I do not want to be separated from you for such a long time." Then he lifted his head and smiled at me wryly. "I have not proposed to you yet, though I dearly want to, because I do not want to be forced to separate from you for a year." I blinked at this revelation, and then slowly smiled.  
  
"You've lived several thousand years, and yet you can't stand to be separated from me for a single year?" Glorfindel nodded sheepishly, and I gave him a light kiss on the forehead. "Well, you certainly know how to make me feel special." Glorfindel chuckled lightly.  
  
"Unfortunately, though I might wish to claim that to make myself look better in your eyes, that was quite honestly the LAST thing on my mind." he said. I eyed what I could see of him.  
  
"You look fine enough as it is." I said with an impish grin, and Glorfindel chuckled once again before pulling me in for a deep kiss. It was while I was recovering from this kiss that an idea formed in my head, and I grinned.  
  
"Y'know, if your ONLY reason is that you don't want to be separated from me for a year - the feeling's mutual, by the way - I think I may have a solution to that." I drew back so Glorfindel could see my mischievous grin, and he simply arched an eyebrow, asking without words what in hell I had cooked up now. "I DO come from another world. That nobody but Kari and I know anything about. And, well, who knows what type of strange customs we have there?" I looked at Glorfindel innocently as he looked back at me in surprise. "I mean, who's to say that we don't have a custom where you propose and get married within a few months, and then the husband and wife aren't allowed to be away from each other for...oh, two years shall we say?" I grinned wolfishly, and Glorfindel let out a little chuckle, then another...then another...and finally he burst out into a full-fledged laugh, which I joined right in on.  
  
A few moments later, I noticed Kari poked her head in the door and blinked in surprise, seeing us both laughing our heads off. Elrohir appeared behind her and looked amused. He muttered something about 'meant for each other', and then left, taking Kari with him. This, of course, just made me laugh harder, though it did bring up the one possible glitch in the entire plan. That glitch, of course, was what Kari said about marriage customs where we come from when she got married to Elrohir. I pointed this out to Glorfindel, and he got silent for a moment.  
  
"Kari once told me that the parts of your world where you two both grew up had been termed a melting pot of different cultures." he said thoughtfully. "And who is to say whether or not you both came from the same culture? Your looks will not say otherwise." I blinked at Glorfindel.  
  
"Suddenly the phrase 'all's fair in love and war' makes so much more sense to me now." I said with a snicker, and Glorfindel laughed.  
  
"I do not believe I have heard that one before." he said.  
  
"I don't doubt you haven't, since it's a proverb from my world." I said, grinning, and then abruptly switched back to the topic at hand. "Even though we can claim Kari and I are from different cultures and have different customs, I would like to ask Kari ahead of time just in case she said something about me - unlikely as it is - and to make sure there will be no holes that Elrond can find. Because that would really suck." Glorfindel nodded emphatically in agreement.  
  
"Do you wish to go speak with her now?" he asked. I shrugged.  
  
"Sure. I'll be feeling a little guilty for pulling you away from Elrond when he apparently needs help, anyways, so no need to add to it by distracting you from your work ahead of time." I motioned to the papers littering his desk as I talked, and Glorfindel grimaced.  
  
"I hate paperwork." he said with a sigh. "But I suppose it needs to be done. Go, then - I shall see you at supper." I nodded, gave my Elf-lord a kiss (a rather long one, at that) and then scampered off to track down Kari. I found her dazed and dreamy on the steps along the edges of a weapons practice courtyard, watching Elladan and Elrohir spar - bare-chested. That was a yummy sight all by itself, and for a short while I found myself admiring the twins, as well. Then I recalled how easily Glorfindel could beat them, as well as what Glorfindel looked like bare-chested, smirked, and dragged Kari away from the sight to talk to her.  
  
Kari was Not Pleased to be dragged away from watching, though she got over it quickly when I told her I needed to talk with her about Glorfindel and marriage. From there, it didn't take much to get the answers I was looking for, and Kari went back to her peredhil watching. I joined her for a moment, then decided that I needed to practice with my sword myself, and went and changed into trousers and a tunic and got my sword.  
  
I returned to the ring to find Elladan and Elrohir just finishing sparring, and I quickly roped them into helping me practice a move Haldir had taught me on the last day before we'd split from the Lothlórien contingent. It was a complicated move, involving two opponents, and Haldir had informed me with a smirk that he didn't expect me to get it for several years. I, of course, was trying to prove him wrong and have it down by the time I went back through Lothlórien.  
  
I'd already practiced the move with Elladan and Elrohir before, so they knew what was going on, as did Kari, but I have never brought out my double-bladed sword in Rivendell before, let alone practiced this particular fancy move with it. Therefore, by the time Kari announced it was shortly going to be time to eat and we needed to get cleaned up, Elladan, Elrohir and I had collected a crowd of spectators. They dispersed once we were done, of course, scarily quickly and silently, so that by the time the twins and I had gotten ready to leave the ring, there was only Kari standing there to greet us.  
  
We got cleaned up quickly after that, and then scurried off to the dining hall. It was a late supper tonight, with the sun already set and the sky dark, so the dining hall looked particularly ethereal - and the food looked delicious to me after my afternoon of exercising. But no sooner had I stepped inside, however, than the same Rivendell page that had delivered that annoying message from Elrond earlier appeared at my elbow and said that Glorfindel wanted to speak with me before the meal. There wasn't much time before the meal started, and coming in late was extremely discouraged, but I only shot one slightly longing glance at the food before excusing myself from Kari's and the twins company and following the page off to where Glorfindel was waiting...which happened to be his study.  
  
I absently wondered as we went, once I realized where we were going, when Glorfindel's study's location had stopped being such a secret, or if it hadn't, how long this page had been a page to know where the study was. The next thought to cross my mind was what Glorfindel wanted to talk with me about. Maybe he wanted to know what Kari had said about marriage customs from our world? I pondered that for a time, and then shrugged and gave up on it. Glorfindel would talk about what Glorfindel would talk about. I loved the Elf, but sometimes he was a complete mystery to me. Once more, I blamed the Balrog and Glorfindel's return from the dead. (Never mind that Elrond, Galadriel and Thranduil could all be equally mysterious and they hadn't had encounters with Balrogs that resulted in them returning from the Halls of Mandos)  
  
The page, much to my amusement, disappeared as quickly as he could without running as soon as we arrived in front of Glorfindel's study door and he had informed me that this was where Glorfindel was waiting. I watched him go for a moment, then turned back to the door and, in true me style, simply opened the door without knocking. Then promptly froze in shock, my mouth slowly falling open.  
  
Glorfindel's study had, somehow, been transformed into something amazing over the past few hours since I'd been in it last. First and foremost, the weapons on the rack on the wall were gone, as was the desk they had hung behind - though I had thought the thing to be immovable. The practice ring wasn't even visible anymore, it being covered by a large...well, essentially it was a picnic blanket, though it was rather fancy for one. Around the edges of the blanket was a large collection of very comfortable-looking pillows, and in the center of the blanket was a selection of scrumptious-looking food. It looked much more appetizing than the food in the main hall had.  
  
The entire scene was lit by four well-placed lanterns, each giving off a soothing, golden glow that was much smoother than ordinary candle-light, or even sunlight. The light reflecting off the green plants nearby gave them an emerald glow all their own, and around the ring there were some night flowers blooming, which I had not seen before - though I wish I had, as they were a very pretty golden colour, much like the lights, and resembled lilies somewhat. They, too, glowed in the lights, and I absently wondered what type of lights the lanterns were. Then I recalled I was dealing with a re-born Elf with Vanyarin blood and decided I would probably understand the explanation as much as Glorfindel had my scientific description of him glowing in the dark.  
  
And while we were on the topic of my Elf-lord, where was he? He HAD wanted to speak with me before supper, after all...and though I knew now that had simply been a ruse to surprise me, he should still be here. Elves aren't THAT odd as to set up a nice romantic meal like this and then disappear and leave one person alone to enjoy it.  
  
So, I looked around the study, trying to spot the Golden-haired Elf I had the extreme pleasure of calling 'mine'. He was, however, nowhere to be seen. I frowned lightly, looking closer, and just as I was starting to get really confused, an arm came 'round my waist and Glorfindel's face appeared beside mine. He was smiling slightly, I saw, and watching me out of the corner of his eye.  
  
"Like it?" he asked softly. I turned my head and arched an eyebrow at him.  
  
"What do you think?" I replied, also softly. I felt him shrug, a certain bit of impishness entering his smile. I laughed lightly. "I love it." I supplied, and Glorfindel's smile grew into a full-fledged grin.  
  
"I am glad." he said, taking his head off my shoulder and coming around in front of me to give me a quick kiss. Then he took my hand and led me into the study, and I closed the door behind me with a well-placed foot. Glorfindel shot me an amused look when he heard the door shut, and I smiled back at him as we settled down on the cushions.  
  
To my immense pleasure, Glorfindel didn't even try and do the whole sitting-across-from-each-other thing. He simply sat - well, lounged - on one collection of pillows, then pulled me down with him so that I was half on top of him. This, of course, had the side effect of causing me to kiss him quite happily, which led to several minutes distraction. Neither of us minded, even when the distractions were halted by the growling of my stomach.  
  
"I believe you are the only Elf I have ever run across with a stomach that growls when hungry." Glorfindel commented with a smile.  
  
"Consider it yet another hangover from being human." I said with a shrug and small grin.  
  
"There seem to be a lot of those." Glorfindel replied, and the amusement in his voice showed that he really didn't mind.  
  
"People don't realize it, but being human is as much attitude and habits as it is physical." I supplied, my grin growing.  
  
"My, aren't we philosophical tonight." Glorfindel said, quirking an eyebrow upwards, his grin teasing.  
  
"There's something in the air, I think." I replied with an equally teasing grin. My stomach growled loudly in agreement...or maybe just protest over so much talk, and so little eating. Glorfindel chuckled, then reached over to the food and grabbed a plate of fruit.  
  
There followed a meal more mushy and romantic than any I have ever even heard of, let alone experienced. Glorfindel was definitely not skimping on anything, and was drawing on his years of experience. And though, if anyone had had the audacity to peek in on the meal, they probably would have felt slightly sick from the mushy love-birdness of it all, I was in heaven - because 7000 years is quite enough time to pick up some very romantic things...  
  
----To be continued...with the actual question!----  
(And the revelation of Rachel's answer to everybody else!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
For those who want to get the joke in the disclaimer, but don't want to go find Lightning Rain's review, well, she said in her review that she stumbled into her mother's rosemary bush and now smelled 'somewhat strongly' of rosemary...so I just kinda put that into my sugar-saturated brain, and you saw what it came out as. (Hope you don't mind, Lightning Rain. :)  
  
Anywho, all you reviewers seem to be sending my computer lucky vibes, because my computer got a virus on Tuesday...I know, that doesn't sound like lucky vibes, but what happened to that virus is: It turned out it was one of the less harmful viruses that could be removed via another computer. My dad took the computer into the shop, and three hours later, the computer was fixed...when they've never taken less than a day before. So, you people narrowly missed what could have potentially been a nasty delay...*sticks tongue out at virus*  
  
On another note, would any of you fine, knowledgable reviewers out there happen to know if Elven Kings use the Royal Plural? Or I suppose, more specifically, if Elven High Kings use the Royal Plural?  
  
And on that note, thank you to all my lovely wonderful reviewers, it is always lovely to hear from you, or at least see your reviews in my inbox even if I can't read them (stupid out-dated library browsers...).  
  
I'll see you all again on Saturday!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	77. Betrothal

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Well, here we have it - the last reviewer cameo in a disclaimer. Why? Because I want to save the last two disclaimers for general insanity and a somber goodbye.  
  
Legolas: Somber?! Have you even SEEN the wine Elladan and Elrohir have been stockpiling?!  
  
CS: Considering they raided your father's stores and I had to beat him away with a talkative pool noodle - which I then mailed to him, just to torture him - yeah, I've seen them. How's he dealing with the pool noodle, by the way?  
  
Legolas: He dipped it in gold and it shut up fairly quickly.  
  
CS: ...I would think it would have burnt up due to the heat.  
  
Orlando Bloom: It's apparently a rather resistent pool noodle.  
  
CS: *blinks* Wait. Weren't you Legolas a few moments ago?  
  
Orlando Bloom: Um...maybe? *shifty eyes*  
  
CS: ...  
  
Will Turner: Why are you looking at me funny...?  
  
CS: Damn, it's an Orlando infestation...  
  
CrazySandWriter: *appears and grins like mad* And this is bad...how?  
  
CS: Well, Troy isn't out yet...and I'm not sure the disclaimer void's defenses can hold back Orlando Fangirls...  
  
CrazySandWriter: Then you'd better do the disclaimer quick. *runs over to Will Turner and hugs him just as he turns into Legolas*  
  
CS: I don't own anything. And in the case of Legolas/Orlando/Bootstrap Jr. over there, I'm not sure I want to...*twitches as Legolas morphes into Orlando again* THAT is creepy.  
  
CrazySandWriter: Speak for yourself. All three of him in one - what could be better?  
  
-77: Betrothal-  
  
Late that night found Glorfindel and I up a tree, stargazing. It turned out that there was a platform at the top of one of the largest trees in the study, and with only a few shenanigans and one rope ladder, we got up to the platform, and I discovered that Glorfindel's study actually does have a roof - a glass one. After a few moments of pestering Glorfindel about how in heck he'd managed to get a glass roof - and wall - in his study, we both lay down on the platform, managing to tangle our limbs together in a rather impossible fashion, and then stared up at the stars.  
  
Glorfindel had, since we had left Mirkwood and he'd realized that I had no clue what any of the stars were (except for Eärendil, who was pretty hard to miss), been teaching me what the different stars were. Lindir and the twins had 'helped', as well, all three seeming to find it positively scandalous that, as an Elf, I didn't know anything about the stars in the sky, but they were more of a hindrance than anything, and eventually Glorfindel told them - essentially - to sod off. But those three of our traveling companions weren't here now - nor was anyone else but us - and Glorfindel and I spent quite awhile staring up at the stars, pointing them out to each other. I was getting quite good at remembering them, now, and only had to ask Glorfindel what a certain star was every once and awhile.  
  
Eventually, as it always does, the talk petered out, and I felt myself drifting slowly into a blissful sleep. I was almost all the way asleep, in fact, when I felt Glorfindel shift beside me, and then suddenly his face was above mine, looking down at me. I looked questioningly up at him and he smiled down at me lightly before raising his right hand to stroke my cheek. I leaned into the caress, my eyes half closing, and Glorfindel's smile deepened, becoming more tender than before.  
  
After a moment, however, Glorfindel's hand stilled and simply cupped my cheek. I once again looked up at him questioningly - I could tell there was something he wanted to say. Something important. But he didn't seem quite up to saying it yet, because he leaned down and kissed me lightly instead of saying anything. Miracles of miracles, the kiss actually stayed light and tender, instead of progressing as our kisses usually did to passionate - probably due to the situation. When Glorfindel pulled back, he finally spoke.  
  
"I have something rather silly to ask, Rachel." he said, somehow managing to avoid looking into my eyes as he spoke, even though our faces were about six inches away from each other. "I suspect - well, I know I already know the answer." Glorfindel smiled slightly, and I began to get an inkling of what was on his mind. "But I would not feel right if I did not ask it."  
  
"Ask, then." I said, looking at him with both curiosity and slight amusement. Glorfindel's head dropped down to my shoulder, much as it had on that morning way back in Lothlórien when we'd said we loved each other, and I smiled, knowing what was coming next, even before Glorfindel asked me it softly, in Quenya.  
  
"Rachel, will you bind yourself to me?" I hesitated for only a moment, wondering if I should follow the 'ask a silly question, get a silly answer' rule...then I decided not. One doesn't often get into situations where they are alone up at the top of a tree with a sexy Elf-lord who just asked them to marry them, after all.  
  
"Of course." I replied, and promptly kissed the tip of Glorfindel's ear...which was the only part of his face I could see, really, so it made a logical sort of sense. And besides, the shiver that I felt go through Glorfindel's body after I did so was positively amusing. Though amusement was cut short as I found myself being kissed more passionately than I could even remember having been before - that is, while I could still remember anything at all. The kiss brought back that old habit of losing all mental coherency...  
  
At any rate. The rest of the night, during which we did not sleep, was spent either with more of those end-of-coherency kisses (which proved to have an affect on Glorfindel's coherency as well, as shown by the one time he tried to talk right after one and ending out talking incoherent Yoda-speech) and us two having the silliest moments ever due to being overflowing with happiness.  
  
Somehow during the evening, as well, Glorfindel managed to produce engagement rings, which I oooed and aaahed over. Especially when he showed me that they were made out of Ithildin. My comment of 'SHINY!' was greeting with a combination grin and smirk, along with a comment that that was exactly why he'd spent an entire day with Thranduil wrangling enough Ithildin out of him to get the rings made. Though further questioning revealed that, as soon as Glorfindel explained what he wanted the Ithildin for, Thranduil had practically shoved the stuff into his hands. Apparently Thranduil liked me, though he hadn't really acted like it...Elves who like shiny and sparklie stuff stick together, maybe?  
  
Anyways, we arrived for breakfast in the main hall the next morning looking very pleased with ourselves. We kept the hands with the rings out of sight, however, and spent the entire meal making everyone else guess why we looked so pleased. Kari figured it out halfway through the meal, I think, judging from the sudden smile and wink she gave me, but she didn't ask for confirmation, instead making the most outrageous suggestions as to why we were so pleased with ourselves. Though, truthfully, finding a potion that would turn Elrond into a female might have had the same result...  
  
At the end of the meal, however, once everyone else but those at the head table who were in on the conversation with/about Glorfindel and I had drifted away, Elrond got fed up and all but commanded Glorfindel to tell him why the heck we were grinning like idiots.  
  
"Shall we?" Glorfindel asked me blandly, and I nodded as serenely as I could. Then, as one, we lifted our hands bearing the rings and made certain that everyone at the table could see them. We grinned widely as there was several minutes of silence. Then, all at once, everyone was congratulating us at once. Even Elrond, for a wonder. Though I knew he wouldn't like what was coming next. The opening came when Lindir made a comment about my proposed trip being the one-year betrothal period.  
  
"Well, if we were going to follow Elvish customs, yes, it would be." I replied with an innocent smile. Kari, who I hadn't told about the proposed plan even when I'd asked her about what she'd said about our marriage traditions, got quiet, her eyes going wide, as she realized that I was about to flout Elvish customs. Not that she was alone, as everyone immediately went quiet and still at my words.  
  
"What do you mean?" Elrond asked me warily after a moment.  
  
"Well, Kari may have been content to follow Elvish customs instead of her own, but one thing 800 years of traveling has taught me is that you have to hang onto your traditions while you can. Especially when you're immortal." I replied with a smile. "There are not many things from my world that can be carried over to Middle-Earth, however, so I've had to mostly let my traditions go.  
  
"One of the traditions that CAN be carried over, however, is the one about marriage, and I intend to do so...at least for the betrothal and consummation period, and general organization. Because we'd need a bible if we were going to do the actual ceremony from my world - at least, the ceremony that I know - and we don't have one of those. So the Elvish ceremony will have to do...and anyways, the Valar might get a little annoyed if we didn't." There was silence once again around the table, except for the quiet laughter of Kari, who had buried her face in Elrohir's sleeve in an attempt to stifle the sound.  
  
"Would you care to share more about these parts of the ceremony from your world that you are insisting on using, then?" Erestor, ever diplomatic, asked careful.  
  
"Well, the most major difference would be the betrothal and consummation periods. The betrothal period for my world's ceremony is much like yours - only the two betrothed are not required to be separate for it, and the minimum is...well, technically there IS no minimum time." I replied.  
  
"Some get married the same night they get betrothed. Heck, some don't even bother to get betrothed before getting married." Kari put in, having recovered from her laughter and now grinning wickedly as she got into the spirit of things. Everyone at the table looked at her in surprise.  
  
"But...how do they arrange a feast on such short notice?" Elrohir asked with confusion.  
  
"They don't." I replied. "Most of those marriages are short, anyways - the two involved usually dissolve it within a relatively small amount of time. There was one couple that got it dissolved the next day..." I paused for a moment to share an amused looked with Kari, while the rest of the table - even Glorfindel, who could tell that there was some truth to the story - looked shocked. "Glorfindel and I, of course, shall not be doing that, and therefore, we shall have a longer betrothal period. The exact length is yet to be decided, but I suspect it shall be only a little longer than it will take to get everything prepared and in place for the wedding." Those around the table exchanged glances.  
  
"And the consummation period you mentioned...?" Elladan asked, looking as if he was almost afraid to ask.  
  
"Ah yes. The fun part. It's also known as a honeymoon, and it involves the two newly weds going of on a trip of undetermined length, away from jobs, duty, and what not, to simply enjoy being married for awhile without the that pesky thing called 'life' interfering." I replied with a smile. Elrond twitched, the first movement he'd made since I'd spoken up about different customs, and everyone reflexively moved away.  
  
"And you have, of course, decided to combine your 'honeymoon' with your trip down to Ithilien and Dol Amroth." the Lord of Rivendell said quietly, speaking for the first time. I nodded, and Elrond stood and left the hall abruptly. Elrohir and Elladan exchanged worried looks, and then cast a slightly annoyed one at me.  
  
"He needs to deal with it, because I'm not changing my mind." I said firmly. "Glory has been loyal to him and his house EVEN IN DEATH. If he can't cut Glorfindel some slack after however many hundreds -"  
  
"Thousands." Glorfindel corrected.  
  
"- thousands of years it's been, then I will feel rather justified in calling him a spoiled brat." I finished smoothly. Everyone at the table, except for Kari and Glorfindel, gaped a little at that statement. Kari just looked slightly disturbed, while Glorfindel was very carefully keeping his face neutral. I don't blame him - I knew he had to be neutral on this matter, because otherwise things could get rather nasty. But I didn't have to be neutral, and was taking full advantage of the fact.  
  
"You are very presumptuous, and impudent." Elrohir said with a scowl as he rose slowly from his feet, and I was suddenly reminded that this was the Elf that had decided not to go for a ride with Elladan and I because I insisted on wearing trousers and a tunic. "What claim have you to speak about our father that way?! All the titles you have held in your life have been assumed, you have said so yourself. You have no rank, and do not have the privilege to be so disrespectful!" I felt Glorfindel begin to stir beside me, and stood quickly to look Elrohir in the eye before Glorfindel could lose his neutrality.  
  
"I have no official rank from the mouths of the people of this land, or from mine - that is true." I said quietly and quite dangerously. "But you cannot tell me that dieing and being brought back to life by the Valar in an entirely other WORLD does not carry with it some sort of unspoken rank or privileges. I KNOW that being born again at least carries an unspoken rank - after all, Glorfindel's House is gone, and yet he not only retains all the ranks and privileges of being its chief, but has gained some as well, from what I understand. Even if you do not acknowledge that, however, I have always, and will always, speak my mind when required, even when it is to call someone I respect and look up to a spoiled brat." With that, I followed Elrond's example and turned and left the hall. Glorfindel followed after a moments delay.  
  
He came up beside me and walked with me for a moment, then glanced over at me, opened his mouth, abruptly shut it again, shook his head, and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close, but saying nothing. I stayed silent as well - which I think was perhaps one of the smartest things I'd ever done. Because I had just, essentially, stuck Glorfindel between a rock and a hard place, and I think if I had somehow forced him to take either my side or Elrond's, he would have followed his sense of duty. I couldn't help one comment, however.  
  
"That went better than expected." I said as we left the buildings, heading back to his study via the gardens. Glorfindel let out a short, not entirely amused, laugh, gave me a light kiss, and returned to silence as we continued walking.  
  
----To be continued...with the twins revenge!----  
(And the permanent scarring of the twins and Glorfindel's minds!)  
  
-Authors Note:-  
I have...The Sims! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *cough* I also have the twins, Arwen, Yavanna, Haldir and a random Rachel-esque type elf living in one house in a chaotic attempt to test my multi-tasking skills. Or maybe just to see how many bathrooms six people truly need. (three, I'm guessing, though I only have two) And on a random note, the Haldir Sim? Is currently in the middle of falling head-over-heals for the Rachel-esque type Sim. O.o And I have determined that I'm going to try and make a Glorfindel head, if not an entire Glorfindel skin...it might take me forever, but I'll make it...  
  
Anyways. I hope you all enjoyed the rather serious chapter, and if you didn't, sorry. We return to the normal insanity on Monday, and Wednesday...well, let's just say that the disclaimers for those two chapters are twice as long as usual. (Hey, I had fun, alright?)  
  
And I have another request in preparation for my next fanfic...does anybody out there know Quenya, or can point me towards someone who does? I'm trying my best with the Quenya dictionary I have, but there are a few things I need translated that are more than a word or two long, and I very much doubt I've gotten them right at the moment. And yes, I knew Quenya is essentially the Latin of Middle-Earth. Believe me, though, there's a reason I'm using it.  
  
Well, I think that's about it for this authors note...I'm off to check my emails before returning to my mad-scientist-esque Sim playing...  
  
See y'all again on Monday!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	78. Gardens

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS: Right, so, here we go. The second to last disclaimer.  
  
...  
  
CS: Um...helloooo?  
  
...  
  
CS: GREAT! They all ran off on me. *grumbles and disapears*  
  
Elrond: *walking out from behind a mysterious big tree* Well, that worked better than I thought it would.  
  
Erestor: *climbing out of the cardboard box he was hiding in* As Glorfindel pointed out, she is not all that bright.  
  
Frodo: *jumping down from the tree Elrond was behind* And neither is he, apparently, since he then promptly allowed himself to be led into a pit trap.  
  
Balrog: *flying out of a crack in the floor* I always said it was more luck than anything else that he managed to kill me...  
  
Halbarad: *appearing out of...nowhere, like any proper ranger would do, and has a big, white bandage around his leg* Yeah...Rachel seems to have a little more brains though. Either that or a longer sword and quick reflexes.  
  
Rúmil: *just plain appearing* I just think she's more bendable...CS is safely in the Pit, by the way. I lead her there myself.  
  
Erestor: Ah, wonderful. The Secondary Disclaimer Characters takeover is complete, then.  
  
Frodo: Not quite.  
  
Rúmil: Oh?  
  
Frodo: Well, most of us here have only been in one or two disclaimers. Except for one, who has not only been in much more than two, but was in the very first disclaimer.  
  
Everyone: ...  
  
Halbarad: You hobbits and your damn riddles.  
  
Frodo: *sighs* Elrond. Elrond has been in over half a dozen disclaimers.  
  
Elrond: *nervously* Er...no I haven't.  
  
Frodo: Yes you have.  
  
Balrog: I remember! You even had a reviewer take you away and do unspeakable things to you!  
  
Elrond: *twitch* Thank you for brining up such pleasant memories.  
  
Frodo: See, he even admits it!  
  
Rúmil: Right, into the Pit with him, then!  
  
Elrond: *everyone but Frodo (who is too short) grabs Elrond* No, wait, I haven't really had a major part, honestly, Rúmil and the Balrog have been in just as many and...*fades out as he is carried bodily out of the Disclaimer Void.  
  
Frodo: Crimson Starlight is currently in a large pit in the ground at the moment, so I think you can guess exactly how much she owns - perhaps a chunk of dirt, but that's it...  
  
-78: Gardens-  
  
Elrond appeared at Glorfindel's study shortly after lunch, and without being asked, I left even as I let Elrond in. They needed to talk this out. And it could be that, in the end, Glorfindel would be convinced that we should do the normal one-year Elvish betrothal, and if that was the case, hey, I honestly didn't mind. As long as I ended up married to the Elf I loved eventually.  
  
I headed off to find Kari, but found that she was busy chatting with Elrohir and Elladan. Feeling the need to avoid the twins, I went instead to find Lindir. He was busy composing a song and just about threw a rock at me when I entered.  
  
So, Glorfindel found me several hours later following Erestor around, bugging the heck out of the Elf. Well, not really. Erestor seemed amused that I found it worth my time to bug him, and was more prone to laugh than snap at me. Glorfindel, too, shook his head in amusement, then informed me that Erestor was the one who had mostly been in charge of looking after the twins when they were younger and Celebrían and Elrond were not available. Thus, he was not easily annoyed. I considered taking that as a challenge to find a way to annoy Erestor, but Glorfindel caught my arm and just about pulled me away from Erestor, and into the gardens, for a 'walk'.  
  
"I suggest you avoid Elrond for the next few days." were Glorfindel first words once we were out in the gardens.  
  
"I was already planning on it." I replied. There was a moment of silence.  
  
"He knows what we are doing." Glorfindel admitted after a moment.  
  
"And let me guess, he's mad because we decided to go behind his back?" I said.  
  
"Actually, I think he is a little scared by the fact that I agreed to the whole thing." Glorfindel looked at me in amusement. "He is rather...ehm...used to me being...well...boring." I giggled.  
  
"Everyone is, I think. All of Kari's friends here still staunchly believe that Kari and I are liars for telling them that you dumped her, and then Celeborn, into a river in Lothlórien." I said. "They wouldn't even believe Lindir when he told them how you dumped Elladan in the lake at Laketown."  
  
"Well, they have plenty of time to get used to it." Glorfindel said with a small smile.  
  
"Especially since it has already been proven that I don't mellow with age, and will therefore keep you from going back to your boring ol' self." I grinned, and Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"Indeed." he said. There was a pause.  
  
"So other than that, is Elrond alright with this whole thing?" I asked.  
  
"Essentially." Glorfindel replied. "He is, as I mentioned, still a little annoyed with you, but as he put it, Elladan and Elrohir have to learn how to manage Imladris sometime."  
  
"Yes indeed." I said. "But that totally wrecks any plans of having Elrohir come, as well..."  
  
"Yes, it does, but it should not be too much of a problem. After all, Kari has spent the last 70 or so years in Lothlórien, with only the occasionally visit from Elrohir. I think they can handle a year or so apart." Glorfindel said.  
  
"Mmm, absence makes the heart grow fonder." I quoted, humming slightly, and then turned to Glorfindel with a mischievous grin. "Of course, by that philosophy, the year-long betrothal separation would be a GOOD thing. We have both decided it's not, however, so we'll just follow your reasoning." Glorfindel smiled, then leaned down and gave me a kiss.  
  
"But of course." he said with a teasing smirk. "Males are, after all, always right."  
  
"Chauvinist." I said, sticking my tongue out at Glorfindel. Glorfindel looked back innocently.  
  
"Whatever do you mean?" he asked, and then took off running. I wasn't far behind, and we had great fun chasing each other around the gardens. Until we ran into Elladan, Elrohir and Kari. Then I had great fun hiding behind Glorfindel.  
  
"You can come out, Rachel." Elrohir said with a sigh. "We are not mad at you."  
  
"Just a little annoyed." Elladan added.  
  
"Yeah, um, so's your dad, and Glorfindel's currently suggesting I stay out of his way." I said, peeking my head around Glorfindel, who was standing in front of me with amusement as any good human shield should.  
  
"We have not managed to perfect the 'Wrathful Elf-lord' thing yet." Elladan pointed out.  
  
"And with me there to remind them of the last thing you said before you walked out, along with what you know of their dad, it's all good. Or at least as good as it can be, considering you just saddled them with the duties of managing Imladris a year before they were expecting it." Kari said.  
  
"Right then." I said with a smile, coming out from behind Glorfindel. I promptly found myself tackled and tickled by the two Peredhel twins. I struggled and tried to get away, but they held me down, and all I could do was giggle uncontrollably while wiggling around.  
  
"TRAITOR!" I called out to Kari when I managed to get a gasp of air. "And that means you, too, Glory." I said with a growl when the twins had finally stopped and I realized Glorfindel had spent the entire time I'd been struggling just standing there trying to contain his laughter.  
  
"Well, you should have known that they'd try to exact SOME type of revenge. I mean, this is Elladan and Elrohir we're talking about." Kari pointed out. I winced.  
  
"Yeah, you're right. 'Twas rather stupid of me." I said, and then grinned mischievously. "I blame Glorfindel."  
  
"Me?" Glorfindel asked, adopting a mock-hurt look.  
  
"Yes. You're just one giant, walking distraction." I replied emphatically, finally climbing to my feet and edging away from the twins, who stood on either side of me, smirking.  
  
"I could say the same of you." Glorfindel replied, and promptly kissed me rather enthusiastically to prove his point. We surfaced and returned our attention to the other three to find them looking at us either in amusement - for the two married ones - or disgust - for Elladan.  
  
"We need to get him a girl, mate." I told Kari in my best (in other words, horrible) Jack Sparrow imitation, nodding towards Elladan.  
  
"Hm, yes..." Kari said thoughtfully. "Or we need to see about encouraging Mírëría some more."  
  
"Ooo, I forgot about her!" I said, my eyes lighting up.  
  
"NO MEDDLING." Elladan said firmly. Kari and I looked over at Elladan blankly.  
  
"We meddle even when we knows it's going to happen, anyways. How can you imagine that one simple command from you will stop us when we don't even know it's going to happen?" Kari asked.  
  
"Yes, but if I recall the discussion just after breakfast this morning correctly, you shall have far more interesting things to do, anyways, besides meddle with my love life." Elladan said sternly.  
  
"Oh, but the two can be done at the same time." I said with a smirk, a plan forming in my mind.  
  
"They can now?" Kari asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Yep." I replied with a thoroughly mischievous grin. "But I'm not saying how, because someone will probably try and thwart the whole thing, and it will actually have another, rather important, purpose other than meddling in Elladan's love life. Though I suppose I could say anyways, since I could then threaten Elladan with castration if he interfered, but it's also somewhat of a surprise." Everyone digested my words for a moment.  
  
"What is 'castration'?" Elrohir asked finally. Kari and I looked at each other for a moment, grinning.  
  
"It's sort of like what happened to Maedhros' hand only it occurs a little...lower." Kari said with a smirk. The twins and Glorfindel looked at us blankly.  
  
"You definitely wouldn't be able to have children afterwards, that's for sure." I put in, also smirking, and a horrified look slowly grew on the three males' faces as they realized what I meant.  
  
"Your world is twisted." Elrohir said, sounding pained.  
  
"I heartily agree!" I replied cheerfully.  
  
"Though there are some rather twisted men in it who deserve such a punishment." Kari commented.  
  
"Mm, yes." I replied. "Here, of course, they just wind up dead."  
  
"A much better solution all around, I'm sure." Glorfindel said, sounding somewhat queasy.  
  
"Depends on how much you value life." I said with a shrug. "Sometimes I think that was what was the problem with our world - every single fricking life was valued, even if the life was that of a homicidal maniac who liked to rape little kids and sheep." Kari shot me a disgusted look.  
  
"You watched far too many cop shows and late night movies. Your mind was permanently damaged by them, I think." she said.  
  
"Well, I said I only think that sometimes." I said indignantly. "Mostly only when I'm in a cynical mood, which isn't often."  
  
"I was referring to the example life." Kari said.  
  
"Oh." I paused. "Yeah, that was a rather odd movie." Kari's eyes widened.  
  
"You mean there was actually a movie with someone like that IN it?!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah. It was really odd because he ate the sheep afterwards." I replied thoughtfully. By now, the twins and Glorfindel were looking somewhat confused, because of the terminology used, but mostly disgusted, because of what they did understand.  
  
"Right. It was only odd because he ate the sheep afterward." Kari said flatly, staring at me blankly for a moment. "Um...let's get back onto happier topics now, shall we?" she finally suggested.  
  
"Yes, let's!" I replied cheerfully.  
  
"Uh, before we do...what is a 'movie'?" Elrohir asked curiously.  
  
"You ask far too many questions." I told him with a smile.  
  
"It's like a play. But...not." Kari replied vaguely. "It's complicated. Just think of it like a play. We have been referring to movies as plays up until now, anyways - plays aren't really all that popular back on our world anymore."  
  
"So the...plays of the recent events in this world were actually these...movies?" Glorfindel hazarded to guess. I nodded.  
  
"We had all three...well, to be honest, we had the Extended Editions, too, so we had all six." I replied with a shrug. "We would have Middle-Earth Marathons every once and awhile and watch them all in a row."  
  
"Considering they were somewhere between three and four hours a piece, it was actually quite an achievement." Kari added, sounding nostalgic. The males were just plain confused.  
  
"I have a feeling we're just going to confuse them further if we continue talking." I said to Kari, and she nodded, looking amused. "Shall we wander off, then, and discuss confusing things from our world in-between other important things that I was talking about before we got onto this disturbing topic?"  
  
"Let's." Kari said, and we each gave our respective Elf-lords kisses before looping our arms together and setting off, humming the 'Off to See the Wizard' tune from the Wizard of Oz, and leaving the confused males behind.  
  
Once we were out of earshot, I stopped humming and revealed to Kari my plan to get Mírëría to help me look up any old Gondolindrim customs regarding weddings, and using the opportunity to meddle with Elladan's love life. Kari, of course, was absolutely delighted by the idea, and we immediately set off to find Mírëría and set the plan in action. It would have, of course, probably been easier to just ask Lindir instead of getting Mírëría to research, but Lindir was, well, Lindir. It would take much tolerance to get anything useful out of him, and one would never be sure if what they got was real, or just Lindir showing the trickster side of himself that the twins had learned from.  
  
And with that oh-so-inconspicuous beginning began the planning for my wedding. Valar, that still sounds weird...  
  
----To be continued...with pink orcs flying to Never Never Land!----  
(And you'll have to be paying attention to spot that part!)  
  
-Things to know:-  
Maedhros, eldest son of Fëanor, was captured by Morgoth in the First Age and hung by his right wrist from the heights of Thangorodrim (at the gates of Morgoth's stronghold). Fingon later rescued Maedhros by cutting off his right hand. As a random side note, if I recall my Silmarillion correctly, Maedhros was also one of the son's of Fëanor who found Elrond and Elros after their mother killed herself, and then helped 'raise' the two brothers...Or was that all Maglor...?  
  
-Authors Note:-  
Well here's a strange combination for you, straight from The Sims - Faramir and Elrohir in love, and Arwen and Faramir in love. O.o Oh, the insanity...and then there's my sim, which seems to have fallen in love with both Boromir and Haldir...oh, the choices one must make. (considering Boromir and Faramir have a net worth of over $30k, and Haldir only around $17k, however, I think we can guess which place my sim will be moving into)  
  
Yeah. I've been playing The Sims most of the past few days, so not much to say. Except y'all should go look up The Silmarillion Sims webpage if y'want LotR sims skins...has ALL the Valar, including Melkor, along with skins for Valinor!Sauron, Gandalf and Saruman. Also has Celebrian, and, wonder of wonders, Glorfindel! *grins* Good ol' Glory...who seems to get along with no one besides Sauron. *facepalm* Silly elf and maia...  
  
Other than that, the front page of FF.n has indicated that my disclaimers may put this story in danger of removal, since it's in chat format, so I think after I've had everything up for a week or two, I'm going to re-upload with the format that I have on my webpage, with a note that the chat disclaimers and special feature can be found on my website.  
  
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The end is near, now - only one more chapter in the story, and then the alternate feature.  
  
So, see you for the last chapter on Wednesday!  
~Crimson Starlight 


	79. Finale

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-Disclaimer:-  
CS (with all the main disclaimer characters behind her): Bwahahaha, I am back.  
  
Erestor (who is tied together around a big post like Jack's crew was in PotC, only this is with all the secondary characters who just tried to take over. Except for the Balrog, who is in a big cage off to the right): *sulks* It's not fair. There was no way you could get out of that Pit without help!  
  
CS: And what's so unimaginable about me having help?! I mean, I have over 2000 reviews, fer gosh sakes! (actually, that's kinda scary, now that I come to think of it...)  
  
Frodo (who is hanging with his feet off the ground because he's so short and everybody else is so tall): So you're saying one of your reviewers helped you? How could they? *turns puppy-dog eyes on reviewers*  
  
SplendiferGoddess: You're wasting effort. They did not aide in Crimson Starlight's Pit Break.  
  
Rúmil: *blink* Who're you?  
  
SplendiferGoddess: I'm Crimson Starlight's partner in crime.  
  
CS: Who actually hasn't read all of TGotG yet -  
  
SplendiferGoddess: *deffensively* Hey, it's long, and I've got punk bois to drool over and sheep to scare!  
  
CS: - but I decided to put her in the last disclaimer, anyways. Besides, you didn't REALLY think you could trap an Author in a pit, did you? I have another story all ready to go, so my Author Powers aren't going anywhere for awhile!  
  
Halbarad: So...er...what're you going to do with us?  
  
CS: Hmm...leave you here when the disclaimer void collapses. *secondary characters panic*  
  
Glorfindel: HEY! *snaps fingers and secondary characters shut up* She's doing it to all of us. Because otherwise we'd run amok and Tolkien would return from the grave and sue the pants off CS.  
  
Haldir: *appears* Did someone say something about CS with her pants off?  
  
CS: PERVY ELF! *whaps Haldir* GO TO THE SPECIAL FEATURE! Do not pass go! Do not collect $200!  
  
Haldir: *gives CS a not-amused amused smile and goes*  
  
Frodo: What, so he's pervy and he just has to go to the Special Feature?!  
  
Balrog: That is SOOOOO not fair.  
  
SplendiferGoddess: Dude. Why does the balrog sound like a sheep?  
  
CS: Becuase...it is? Maybe some of Glorfindel's blonde-ness rubbed off on it.  
  
SplendiferGoddess: Ooo! *begins to torture Balrog with an endless stream of blonde jokes*  
  
Glorfindel: ...I resent that.  
  
Rachel: You mean you resemble that. Now is anybody going to actually DO a disclaimer, or are we just going to ramble on and on?!  
  
CS: Oh, I suppose we can do one. But first, everybody but...*checks special feature roster* Glorfindel, Gil-galad, Rachel and Elrond say bye.  
  
Everyone but Glorfindel, Gil-galad, Rachel and Elrond: BYE!  
  
CS: And now, the disclaimer.  
  
SplendiferGoddess: Crimson starlight owns nothing because the government repossessed everything she owns due to the fact that she didn't pay her FanFiction taxes.  
  
CS: Yeah. Hey, wait, what?!  
  
Government guys: *come and drag CS off*  
  
CS: AGH!  
  
(Please note that I am, in fact, blond myself, and thus really don't have anything against blonds - I just find blonde jokes extremely funny. Oh, and the sheep thing of SplendiferGoddess'? It's an injoke that I'm not even going to bother to explain because it'd take up the whole chapter.)  
  
-79: Finale-  
  
The next three months were a flurry of activity that I hadn't thought the Elves were possible of. It seemed that while they'd take their own sweet time with just about everything else, weddings - even more so for mine because it was 'rushed' - were something they'd go all-out for and end up scurrying around like a bunch of mice. It was rather creepy, and more than once I went and hid in Glorfindel's study for awhile, despite having Valinlot, Kari and Mírëría to help me. At any rate, as I stayed up in the tree with the star-gazing platform, and Glorfindel kindly informed those looking for me that he hadn't seen me, my hiding place was never discovered.  
  
Not that I made frequent use of the platform, but it was nice to know that I could escape for a few moments if I wanted to - I could always just divert my attention from the wedding plans to meddling with Elladan and Mírëría's relationship, anyways. That was quite fun, and a very thorough distraction. THAT I did quite a bit, in fact, and by the time the wedding came around, Elladan and Mírëría had finally conceded that there was, at the very least, some attraction between the two of them.  
  
As for the actual plans for the wedding, well, until the day of the wedding, even *I* wasn't sure how everything was going to turn out. It was a mostly an Elvish ceremony, except for the fact that I, in a fit of romanticism, decided that I wanted the ceremony at dawn. That got changed to twilight after I told Glorfindel and his disturbed look reminded me when Gondolin had been attacked. The rest of the ceremony was based on a combination of the currently favoured ceremony for the Elves, and the type that had been favoured back in Gondolin when the city had been at it's best. That had actually surprised Glorfindel, when Kari and I had informed him about it, and later he told me that he was actually rather touched that I had thought to include Gondolin customs.  
  
I just grinned, and informed him that he hadn't seen anything yet. After all, though I hadn't told him, I had discovered that the night-blooming golden flower that had been around the little picnic-blanket the night he'd proposed was actually the golden flower of his House. It was rather funny to see his face when he finally got a look at the preparations and realized that I'd gotten the golden flowers sprinkled around into almost every bouqet of flowers there.  
  
That's was the last bit of amusement for me that night, however - the rest was pure, unadulturated bliss. I literally felt like I was floating, and that was not helped any by the fact that I made no noise when I walked. I honestly can't even remember the ceremony. I did, of course, know the basics of what was going to happen, due to having planned it all, but I really don't remember it - I knew Elrond was there to stand in for Glorfindel's father, and Kari stood in for my mom (who I think would've been insulted by that) but I never once saw them.  
  
All I can remember from the wedding is Glorfindel. Just...Glorfindel. He was glowing, and with the glow and the make of the clothes he was wearing, it almost looked like he was wearing gold and emeralds. It was incredible, and I knew as soon as I saw him that if I hadn't loved him before, I was as sure as hell in love with his looks, at the least, now. You haven't seen sexy and droolalicious until you've seen an Elf-lord in full wedding dress preparing to get married.  
  
And as for what happened after the ceremony and the feast when Glorfindel and I finally escaped from all the well-wishers (I think everyone in Rivendell - and half of Mirkwood, Lothlórien and the Grey Havens - knew Glorfindel and came for the wedding, despite the short notice) well, I think you can guess, and even if you can't, it's none of your business. Suffice it to say that it made everything even more worthwhile, and Glorfindel and I fell asleep around dawn in a happy daze, so tangled together I don't think even a nuclear warhead could've blown us apart. The happy daze was just extended by the fact that neither of us really moved from the bed for another full day - not even for food, since we'd eaten far too much at the feast as it was.  
  
When we finally did move from the bed - in Glorfindel's quarters, since they were nicer than mine - it was only to start packing and getting ready to go on the little last tour of Middle-Earth. Kari and Lindir, our two travelling companions, had naturally taken the time Glorfindel and I had been celebrating our marriage to pack, and so they now hung around and annoyed the bejeezers out of Glorfindel and me while we packed.  
  
At least, they did that when we weren't in the same room while packing - as soon as Glorfindel and I were in the same room, they claimed that we were acting sickeningly in love, then left - Kari to go find Elrohir and be sickeningly in love with him, and Lindir to go flirt with whatever maidens of Rivendell he could find who wouldn't slap him the instant he started talking. Glorfindel and I eventually used it as a way to get rid of them. And as we had discovered that somehow we'd managed to get a bond strong enough that we could speak to each other mind-to-mind, Lindir and Kari never really got much time to annoy one of us before the other came to the rescue.  
  
Actually, the fact that Glorfindel and I had a bond strong enough to speak mind-to-mind rather startled everyone. Elrond confessed, looking somewhat confused at the time, that usually only couples that consisted two very powerful Elves - such as Celeborn and Galadriel, or him and Celebrían - or of two Elves that knew each other very well had such bonds. Glorfindel just kind of shrugged, and I promptly said that it was all the Goa'uld's fault. Which I didn't expect them to get, but surprisingly, Glorfindel got a funny look on his face at that remark and asked me where I had seen THAT creature.  
  
Thus came a quick lesson in how to keep my thoughts to myself unless I wanted to share them. Some damage, however, had already been done, as it was discovered a day later when Kari and I tried to hold a conversation in English that Glorfindel now understood our native tongue. We quickly declared this unfair, and took to re-learning the language we had made up, with me being sure to keep it from leaking into Glorfindel's mind. If we hadn't, I think Glorfindel probably would have made a good imitation of a stop light when he heard what sorts of words we had to make up translations for. Let us just say that Kari's and my new favourite topic for discussion was our Elf-lords' 'abilities'.  
  
Finally, on September 29th, exactly one year before we absolutely HAD to be at the Grey Havens or we'd miss the ship we were supposed to be heading out on, Glorfindel, Lindir, Kari and I set out from Rivendell. Just for the amusement of it, after we got our horses saddled up, I sat in front of Glorfindel instead of on Aratelpe, though she ambled along behind Asfaloth. Lindir was appropriately disgusted, while Kari returned the favour by giving Elrohir a quite publicly inappropriate kiss right in front of us.  
  
And so our trip began, with two newly-married love-sick fools, one bard who couldn't handle balladic-quality romance when face to face with it, and a crazy friend who was leaving a rather dazed husband behind. Well, actually, not really. We awoke on the first day out of Rivendell to find that Elrohir had followed us. We didn't have the heart to send him back.  
  
When we reached Lothlórien, Galadriel, of course, tried to send Elrohir back anyways, claiming that Elrond was quite upset with Elrohir for skipping out. To say nothing of Elladan. We spared a moment for surprise that Elrohir had managed to get out of Rivendell without the help of, or even informing, his brother, then turned to Celeborn, who was having great fun teasing Lindir. Apparently the bard and Lord knew each other from a long time ago.  
  
We were only going to be staying in Lothlórien for a week at most, and Haldir had supposedly gone out on patrol on the eastern borders with Rúmil and Orophin JUST before we arrived, but they still managed to make it back before we left - much to the displeasure of Galadriel, who apparently was trying to keep Haldir and I apart for fear of some public arguments. Haldir and I had, however, matured somewhat, and now acted as just really close friends, instead of people who hated each other's guts. We would take the occasional jab at each other, of course, but nothing more than that - Lindir said that it was probably due to my almost fading. So it really shouldn't have surprised Galadriel when Haldir requested leave to come with us. It shouldn't have, but it did - mostly because Galadriel can be incredibly dense when she wants to be.  
  
At any rate, Haldir came with us when we left Lothlórien, after having had a short long-distance communication with Lady Valinlot, with Celeborn's help, and agreeing that they would meet up at the Grey Havens the next year, the return to Rivendell for their wedding, as Lothlórien would be slowly emptying itself of Elves. I was a little disapointed that I wouldn't get to see their wedding, but nothing could be done about it, and as Haldir said, turnabout is fair play. He didn't get to see my wedding, I didn't get to see his.  
  
That was one of the occasional jabs we took at each other, by the way.  
  
Anyways, having Haldir with us led to many interesting conversations - though I suppose the conversations before had been interesting enough. Haldir just seemed to cause more of them, though. Those in our band came from such different background and had such different views on things that we usually had a spirited debate about something or another going on. When we finally reached Minas Tirith, we came through the main gate bickering about how Eärendil could have been turned into a star if stars were, as Kari and I knew, big balls of gas (there was no arguement that Eärendil had been turned into a star, due to Elrohir being in our little group, the only question was how). Lindir, Elrohir, Haldir and Glorfindel did not, of course, understand the science behind it all, but they had picked up a few things during the journey, and I could share with Glorfindel, mentally, the explanation to anything that went right over their heads, leaving it up to him to explain to Haldir, Elrohir and Lindir in understandable terms.  
  
The debate ended, of course, when we found ourselves in front of the Citadel with most of the court waiting for us. We all exchanged looks, silently asking each other if we knew what was going on. Then Aragorn and Faramir appeared, and we soon discovered that, having spotted us when we crossed the border, they had prepared a little welcoming party for us. It was also, Faramir admitted, sort of in honour of Glorfindel and I getting married, as I HAD lived in the city since before he and Boromir were born, and the people had come to regard me as one of their own. Nevermind that I turned out to be an Elf. I was touched, and said so.  
  
Not even the feast and obvious love from the people of the city could force us to stay longer than the month we'd planned, however - it was going to be hard enough travelling in near-winter conditions as it was. We wanted to reach Ithilien by the new year, stay there 'til spring, then go to Dol Amroth until mid-summer or so. When we left was dependant on whether or not we could get a boat, and learn how to sail it, up to the Grey Havens, or if we'd have to ride.  
  
To our surprise, however, when we did leave, Faramir decided that it was high time he went to Ithilien, anyways, since he was supposed the Prince of that particular part of Gondor, and he came with us. This made Glorfindel, Elrohir and Haldir quite happy, as they had been somewhat worried about what sort of evil, nasty creatures might still be lurking around that close to Mordor. It was also rather nice because Ithilien still had no permanent buildings, and the only truly weather-proof place to stay was the cave Faramir and his men had used while in the forest. So, of course, with Faramir with us, we were able to find and use said cave. Kari and I had a blast cracking Gollum-jokes, which - unfortunately or fortunately, I don't know - nobody else seemed to get.  
  
Anyways. We spent the winter traipsing around Ithilien, generally having a blast of a time. At one point we managed to get a full-fledged snowball war going - Glorfindel, Haldir and I were on one side, and Lindir, Kari and Elrohir were on the other, each of us being backed by roughly half of Faramir's off-duty men. They had deserted us when Faramir had shown up on the scene, demanding to know what was going on. Us six elves merely pelted him with snowballs in response. He looked like a snowman by the time he finally roared out an order to stop. We did so, then disappeared so quickly that by the time he had cleared the snow out of his eyes, there was not an Elf to be seen. We stayed hidden for several days after that.  
  
Eventually, however, spring came around, and we all discovered that Ithilien liked to turn into a mini-swamp during quick melts. Thus, the departure of our party of six Elves was delayed long enough that Legolas and a company of woodelves showed up. That delayed us for another month, as the woodelves wanted to know everything about the land that we could tell them. I think they were a little disapointed at how little we'd found out, but then I reminded them who they were dealing with. Half of us were insane (Lindir had been admitted into Kari's and my Club of Insanity after he calmly responded to a question of Faramir's by saying that there were purple orcs in pink sparkly dresses swimming in the Forbidden Pool making plans to fly off to NeverNever Land - we'd just told him about Peter Pan and faeries), two of the others were married to two of the insane ones, and the other one just couldn't help but be dragged along. The woodelves conceeded the point, and let us go.  
  
We didn't have to travel long to get to Dol Amroth, but even before we reached it, I knew I had done the right thing in not going to visit before now. The smell of the Sea, and the cries of the sea birds that drifted on the wind were more than enough for me - I'd felt drawn to the oceans back home (the oceans and the mountains) and that feeling had transferred over to Middle-Earth with a vengeance. The rest of the company didn't even need to ask if I felt the call of the Sea - they took one look at me when the first whiff of sea air came our way, and they knew. Prince Imrahil, however, seemed a little disturbed at my dazed look when we arrived in Dol Amroth.  
  
"Rachel, are you alright?" he asked me with no little concern as he led us into the...well, I suppose it could be called a palace, where he and his family lived, along with many of the heads of state.  
  
"Give me a room with a view of the sea and I'll be fine." I said somewhat dreamily, still listening to the gulls and the sea. Imrahil looked confused for a moment, then Kari went up to him and explained in low tones, and he understood. He made a few comments about some part of the Elvish longing for the Sea probably being why his family found it so hard to leave the sea, and the trip to our rooms continued.  
  
Lothíriel was, we discovered, not yet married off to Éomer, so we had great fun talking to her for awhile, and then Éomer showed up with what looked like half of Rohan, followed by a group from Minas Tirith that contained most of the Fellowship (Legolas managed to pull himself away from Ithilien long enough to come in for four days, and Gimli stayed about as long, as well). That was when we discovered that they had planned things so that they would have their wedding, in Dol Amroth, when we six elves were there. We were all touched by that, even those of us that had had nothing to do with getting Éomer and Lothíriel together. After the wedding, of course, Kari and I decided to admit the real truth to Imrahil, since we were feeling somewhat embaressed by the thanks, but the news apparently came as no surprise to him - he'd guessed a few days after we'd parted company, he said.  
  
Finally, late summer came around, and we inquired to Imrahil about a boat. We'd already learned how to sail one, since one couldn't stay in Dol Amroth very long without learning how to sail a boat (unless they were Rohirrim - they were rather clumsy on boats, and had been all but banned from them after the first few accidents when they had been visiting for the wedding). Imrahil was absolutely delighted to give us a boat.  
  
Actually, Imrahil used the word 'lend', but we didn't notice that fact until later, when he insisted that he, Erchirion and Amrothos must come with us so that they could see to the proper return of the boat. Much arguing and several bargains later, Erchirion and Amrothos joined us on the boat, Imrahil having been forced to stay behind by not only us, but by just about everyone else who found out about his plan, including Erchirion and Amrothos themselves.  
  
So, two weeks before the last day of summer, a surprisingly large crowd gathered on the dock to see us off. I absently wondered as we cast off how many of the people were there to see their Prince's sons off, or to see us elves off. It was probably pretty much a tie, since we, the elves on the boat, had been making ourselves quite at home in Dol Amroth over the summer, helping out and meeting people and all sorts of things. This was only aided by the fact that, as Elves, we seemed to have gained a natural immunity to the normal consequences for associating with several different classes of people. We could go from a sedate party in the palace, to a rough-and-tumble tavern down in the nether regions of Dol Amroth, where the city guard feared to tread, with only a change of clothes between, and nobody would comment on it, even when we weren't at all secretive about what we were doing. This, needless to say, pleased Kari and me greatly.  
  
At any rate, we were soon off, despite the crowd of well-wishers, and the pitiful looks Imrahil kept sending us in a last-ditch effort to be allowed to see the Grey Havens. I felt somewhat sorry for him, but I knew we couldn't, in good concience, take him with us. Not without leaving an unpleasant reputation for any Elves that came after us. So we made ourselves as immune to his pitiful looks and made our way out of the harbour.  
  
Erchirion and Amrothos spent the first few days watching the seas behind us, and when questioned, they confessed that they and their father had some fears about someone following us. Elrohir, Lindir and Glorfindel quickly assured them that if that was so, the scout ships from the Havens would spot the ships and send them back. That, of course, prompted a conversation about the Grey Havens in general, and the conversation basically lasted the entire trip, with only short breaks for other topics and things like eating and sleeping. Poor Elrohir, Lindir and Glorfindel soon had their minds picked bare by Erchirion and Amrothos. Kari, Haldir and I just watched on with amusement.  
  
On the 19th of September, however, our journey came to an end as the Grey Havens came into sight. We docked smoothly, and were met by none other than Círdan himself. I was immediately absorbed by his beard, the novelty of which hadn't grown old since I'd last seen him at Elrond's Council. Thankfully, this seemed to amuse Glorfindel more than anything else, especially when I sent a questioning thought his way accompanied with a mental image of him with a beard...well, more of a goatee, actually. Everyone looked at him rather strangely when he burst out into spontaneous laughter, though they didn't need to guess at what - or rather, who - caused it.  
  
Erchirion and Amrothos didn't really seem to notice much, actually, both apparently being a little overwhelmed by the whole thing, and Círdan seemed to understand, not really addressing the brothers until the next day, after they'd had some time to recover. When he finally did talk to them, it was to engage them in a discussion about ships, and...well, it was another one of those topics that Erchirion and Amrothos, and apparently Círdan, could talk on forever. Erchirion and Amrothos left a week later with heads abuzz with ideas, and a blueprint for one of the Grey Havens scout ships tucked under their arm. Círdan had felt it was a good exchange for some of the more useful ship-board human innovations that they had shared with him.  
  
And then, finally, Elrond, Galadriel and Gandalf arrived with the hobbits and other elves, including a happy Lady Valinlot, in tow. They seemed a little surprised, but quite pleased, to see that we were actually there - which, naturally, led to a little argument between Galadriel and I about the virtue of 'trust'. It was settled by Glorfindel turning me around so I could see the Sea, thus becoming thoroughly distracted, especially when mental plans of Glorfindel's about how to keep Galadriel and I apart on the voyage to Valinor seeped into my mind. Out of sheer amusement and for no small amount of revenge, I decided to help the plans along and gave him several 'helpful' hints about how to keep me 'occupied' and insure that Galadriel couldn't accidentally come across me.  
  
Glorfindel's face remained red until it was time to board the boat. He is far too easy to embaress sometimes.  
  
"Well, time for me to go." I said to Kari with a sigh as I saw the hobbits saying goodbye to each other.  
  
"I'm going to miss you." Kari said with a sigh. "Even two or so years worth of insanity isn't enough to make up for 800 years missed."  
  
"'Course not. Only 800 years of insanity would make up for 800 years missed." I replied promptly. "And anyways, Elrond and Galadriel have threatened Elladan and Elrohir - and Celeborn, though he doesn't really matter in this specific discussion - with death if they don't come to Valinor by ship within the next 500 years. So we won't be seperated too long." Kari nodded, sighed, and hugged me, and then Glorfindel was calling me from the ship, having already boarded. I sighed, myself, then stepped back and bowed slightly to Kari.  
  
"Farewell, and do your utmost to hold back the ladybugs and pickles." I said sollemnly.  
  
"I shall - until I leave these lands, I shall hold back their invasion with my last ounce of strength. And stomach space." Kari was as sollemn as I until the last part, when she grinned. I made a face.  
  
"Eugh, you and your pickle eating." I said. Kari snickered.  
  
"At least you won't have to put up with it for the next 500 or so years." she said.  
  
"Hmm, yes, that's deffinately an upside..." I pondered.  
  
"Rachel, even the HOBBITS are done saying goodbye." Glorfindel called from the boat. I looked over and saw that the hobbits were, indeed, done saying goodbye - and were watching Kari and I with amusement, the little buggers. I shot them a brief, mock scowl before turning back to Kari.  
  
"Right. Bye!" I gave Kari one last quick hug, then dashed up into the ship, making for the back of it, where Frodo was already standing, so I could wave good-bye to Kari.  
  
---  
  
Twilight that evening saw two figures, a lady and her husband, standing on the back of a silver-grey boat that was sailing into the West. The male was tall, with fair hair that glowed a fiery gold in the light of the setting sun, and held the dark-haired lady, who was looking mournfully back the way they'd come.  
  
And as the sun set, the universe faded into darkness, going out not with a bang, nor a whimper, but a loud 'I KNEW IT, GODDAMMIT!' followed by an irritated sigh...  
  
While in another universe, an author sat back in their chair and sighed with relief, contentment and no little amount of sadness as they surveyed the end of their handiwork.  
  
----The End----  
(OK, not quite. Still the special feature.)  
  
-Author's Note:-  
Bwahahahaha, and you thought I'd pushed the Mary-Sue thing aside when Rachel had gotten over it! *snicker* And for those of you finding weapons and preparing to hunt me down and kill me, there is an alternate ending in the Special Feature, inspired by a review of Angel Queen's. I assure you that you will find it enjoyable. (Heck, if it wasn't for the fact that this ending actually clung to the little bit of plot that I actually had, I would have switched this ending with the alternate one)  
  
Yep. Well, I know people are going to ask about future works, and some of you already have, so I figured I'd say what I have to right here. There is a plan for a non-romance Cirdan story shooting around in my brain (HurriCanine, you know about that one) but I can't get started on it, so it's been put on hold. I'm stuck on the expansion of 'Consequences', so I won't be posting that one soon, unless I miraculously get inspired. (Where IS Haldir when you need him...? Oh, right, on a video I haven't watched in several months. Whoops. Maybe I should go watch FotR again...)  
  
Now that I've told you what I'm NOT going to do next, I will tell you what I AM going to do next. It's a fic called 'The House of the Golden Flower', and as you can probably guess from the title, it does indeed involve Glorfindel. And some other fun, neglected people...like Thranduil! And I think I'll see if I can make Erestor show up at some point...I have sadly neglected him in this fic. At any rate, the story is going to be my first attempt at a pre-War of the Ring FanFic - pre-Last Alliance, in fact. And it will be MUCH shorter. It's looking to be around ten or twenty chapters, max, in length. But long chapters, and packed with stuff. Like pizza pockets!  
  
...  
  
Anyways. I don't know when I'll begin posting that fic, but I do already have three chapters written, and a plot that I am about half-way through already...  
  
But until then, thank you to all my reviewer for sticking it through, and for now - because I won't get to say it in the special feature on Friday (you'll see why) - adiós amigos, au revoir amis, auf wiedersehen freunde, arrivederci amici, and namarie mellon! (Is that last one in the same language? Or is that Quenya and Sindarin, or Sindarin and Quenya? *pauses thoughtfully, then dismisses it with a shrug*)  
  
~Crimson Starlight 


	80. The Extra Goodies

-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-  
  
-The Extra Goodies:-  
  
Rachel: Before the insanity and general chaos begins, Glorfindel and I would like to say something.  
  
Glorfindel: Indeed.  
  
...  
  
Glorfindel: Aren't you going to start?  
  
Rachel: I thought I'd let you do it.  
  
Glorfindel: ...why?  
  
Rachel: *pokes Glory* You don't like responsibility, do you?  
  
Glorfindel: Well, it's already gotten me killed once...  
  
Rachel: Oh. Right then. So, what we want to say is to the reviewers out there, specifically those that asked for a sequel.  
  
Glorfindel: Yes indeed.  
  
Rachel: Actually, we don't want to say something so much as point it out. And what do we want to point out?  
  
Glorfindel: The fact that the universe ended because Rachel became a Mary-Sue and therefore there can be no sequel.  
  
Rachel: ...I thought you didn't want responsibility?  
  
Glorfindel: Well, further thought indicated that the one who accepted the responsibility might be in danger of bodily harm, and, no offence, but I am somewhat better with my sword than you.  
  
Rachel: ...but the reviewers won't ATTACK you. They'll just kidnap you and...er...  
  
Glorfindel: *grins* Do things to me you want to be the only one to do to me?  
  
Rachel: Exactly.  
  
Rachel and Glorfindel: *looks at each other for a moment*  
  
Glorfindel: Right, we're out of here to do...things. *grabs Rachel's arm and the two disapear*  
  
Gil-Galad: *appears and grins* Sickeningly in love.  
  
Haldir: *rolls his eyes as he jumps down from a tree* Very disgusting.  
  
CS: *shakes head as she fades in* Well then. I suppose here begins the 'insanity and general chaos', as Rachel put it. In this chapter, which really isn't a chapter but more just extra goodies as the title says, you shall find the wrong-turns and interesting alternatives to scenes that I asked you if you wanted to see way back in Chapter 64. The two elves you last saw -  
  
Gil-Galad and Haldir: Us.  
  
CS: - will be helping me...er...'host' this chapter. Other characters might pop in occasionally, but those two shall be my main helpers. Now, for a note as to the quality of these snippets - I have spell-checked 'em, (just to spite Toey) but nothing else since they have been cut from the story. So they are basically my first drafts. That said, let us get on with the good -  
  
Gil-Galad: *ahem*  
  
CS: Hm?  
  
Gil-Galad: Aren't you forgetting something?  
  
CS: Uh...  
  
Haldir: *cough*disclaimer*cough*  
  
CS: *blink*  
  
Gil-Galad: *sighs* CS owns nothing except the horrible quality of the writing that follows.  
  
CS: ...I WILL go steal Boromir's shield.  
  
Gil-Galad: *sticks his tongue out at CS* Can't be any worse than dieing.  
  
CS: ...dammit. Yes, I'm glad this story is over, you're all getting way too smart.  
  
Haldir: ANYWAYS.  
  
CS: Yes. Onto the first piece. It was taken out of chapter 30, which took place in Rivendell and was the chapter where Glorfindel and Rachel, inebriated from Dorwinnian wine, made it back to Rachel's room. This specific part was located right after Rachel gave Glorfindel a graphic description of what he should go do to Elrond...One should also note that this particular part was written before I decided to go completely Tolkien-canon on the subject of Elvish marriage.  
  
-*-*-  
  
"If you're quite done, I'd like to get some sleep." Glorfindel said with a yawn when I paused for breath, then rolled over and ignored me as I gaped at his back. I kicked him again, of course, but he didn't move, and with a growl, I decided he wasn't worth it, rolled over myself, and fell asleep.  
  
---  
  
I awoke to birds chirping, the sun shining on my face, and the steady rise-and-fall of my pillow. A wonderful way to wake up, really. Until that last one registered with my brain. When it did, I let out a startled yelp, rolled away from said pillow, and sat up. Blinking down at the white-covered form that I had previously assumed to be my pillow, it took me several moments to realize that it was actually Glorfindel's chest covered in sheets. I gaped for a moment at the golden head where it was resting on my actual pillow, the thought 'what the hell?' running through my head at various volume and panic levels. Then two things happened - I realized both Glorfindel and I were still wearing clothes, and I remembered what had happened the night before.  
  
"AGH, stupid Elf-lord!" I exclaimed, then brought one of my legs around and gave Glorfindel a solid kick, sending him tumbling out of the bed, much like I had done with Aragorn not long ago. I smirked in satisfaction as I heard the heavy 'THUMP' followed by a loud yelp. Moments later, with a groan, Glorfindel's head appeared on the other side of the bed.  
  
"What was THAT for?" he mumbled, rubbing his head.  
  
"For not leaving." I said, still smirking. At that point, Glorfindel actually seemed to take note of where he was, and looked slightly surprised when his gaze finally settled on me. After a moment, his surprise turned to bewilderment, then thoughtfulness, and then a light frown.  
  
"Did I not pass out at the base of the bed?" he asked. I nodded. He glanced between his position on the floor and the end of the bed in confusion, then over at me.  
  
"Hey, don't ask me how you managed to finagle your way up to the top of the bed in your sleep!" I said, raising my hands in mock surrender. "All I know is that I want you OUT so I can change." and, of course, at that point, there was a loud knock on my outermost door - which had apparently been closed at some point during the night, though the bedroom door remained open.  
  
"Rachel! Father needs your help with Boromir!" I sighed, then clambered out of bed and went over to the door. Opening the door, I found Elladan preparing to knock again. How I knew it was Elladan, I don't know. I think all the time I had recently spent sparring with him finally paid off in me being able to distinguish him from Elrohir.  
  
"I'll be there as soon as I change." I said, but Elladan didn't seem to hear. In fact, he was busy staring over my shoulder in what seemed to be shock. I glanced over my shoulder and scowled at Glorfindel where he stood a few feet behind me - I hadn't even heard him following me.  
  
"And as soon as I kick certain annoying Elf-lords out." I said, narrowing my eyes at Glorfindel, who studiously avoided my gaze.  
  
"What?" Glorfindel asked after a short silence, unable to ignore both Elladan's and my gazes on him anymore.  
  
"Out." I commanded, moving away from the door. Elladan, taking the hint, moved aside as well, and Glorfindel quickly slipped out. Once he was out, I stuck my head out the door and yelled after him "And next time pass out in your own rooms!" before turning back to Elladan and commenting, "That Elf should be kept far away from Dorwinnian wine."  
  
"We try our best." Elladan said, sounding somewhat disappointed.  
  
"Which reminds me -" I ducked back into my room, looked around quickly, found the empty flask of wine, picked it up, and returned to the door. "Here's your flask back."  
  
"Empty?" Elladan asked forlornly, peering into the flask.  
  
"Yep. Sorry." I replied with a shrug. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get changed before I go help your father calm down Boromir."  
  
"Sure..." Elladan said. "I shall see you later?"  
  
"Probably." I said with a shrug, and then Elladan gave me a slight bow - which I returned - and headed off down the hall. I shut the door, then quickly changed and left the room myself, heading for Boromir's quarters, which weren't far away.  
  
"How many knives does he HAVE?!" I grinned as I heard Aragorn's exclamation when I neared Boromir's quarters, and picked up my pace.  
  
"Y'know, yelling will only make him more disagreeable." I commented as I came around the corner and encountered the group of Elrond, Aragorn, Elrohir, and a few curious on looking Elves standing by Boromir's door.  
  
"Ah, Rachel!" Elrond said, in what almost sounded like relief. "Elrohir said you might know how to cure Boromir of his hangover?"  
  
"Not cure, no. But I do know how to stun him into being quiet long enough for someone to get close to him and give him something for the hangover." I said cheerfully.  
  
"Then by all means, do so." Elrond said, motioning to the door. I smiled, and then ducked into Boromir's room. Immediately upon entering, I was forced to duck a knife, scowling as I realized Boromir had never made it to his bedroom the night before, and was now lying facedown on the floor, head facing the door, eyes closed. If he opened those eyes, this wouldn't work. But, as Boromir rarely opened his eyes when he had a hangover, I had little fear. So I smoothed my scowl into a smile, and focused my attention on Boromir.  
  
"Good morning, Boromir!" I said cheerfully, in my best imitation of his mother, Lady Finduilas. Instantly, Boromir, who had been barely moving, visibly stilled. "How are you this morning? Well, I hope? Dear me, what on earth are all these knives doing here?" I continued in the same voice, smiling with amusement as I saw a good number of Boromir's large collection of fighting knives peppering the room's walls. "I hope you didn't throw them. They've put awful holes in the wall..."  
  
I eyed Boromir, wondering if I should continue, but he showed no sign of moving, so I opened the door and motioned for Elrond to come in. He came in quickly, carrying a cup of something, and went over to Boromir. Deftly, he turned the man over and poured the liquid in the cup down his throat before Boromir knew what was happening. Spluttering, Boromir went for another one of his knives, but Elrohir, who had entered right behind his father, quickly pinned Boromir's arms. Shaking my head, I came over to Boromir and looked down at him as he spluttered and tried to wriggle out of Elrohir's grip.  
  
"Why are you always such a pain when you have a hangover?" I asked rhetorically as I looked down at the Man. He stilled when he heard me, and then looked up with a glare.  
  
"Someday, your little trick will not work." he said dangerously.  
  
"And then you'll immensely enjoy throwing a knife into me and watching me bleed to death for daring to profane the memory of the dead, yes yes, I know." I said, waving a hand through the air dismissively. "I've heard it several dozen times, Boromir. And what Faramir says still goes - Lady Finduilas would be ashamed of your behavior when you're hung-over, so it's more paying tribute to her memory than profaning it, and besides, it works." Boromir shot me a glare. I smiled sweetly, and then, with a little wave, left the room. Elrohir and Elrond followed soon after.  
  
"What I do not get is how he could hear us entering, even when we were being out quietest." Elrohir said in confusion as he shut the door to Boromir's room. Inside, Boromir could be heard hauling himself to his feet and staggering into his bedroom.  
  
"It's something no one has been able to figure out." I said, shaking my head. "Faramir and I decided awhile ago that it had to be his Númenorean blood making its only showing."  
  
"Only showing? A little harsh, isn't that?" Aragorn asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Nope, it's the truth." I said, shaking my head. "Between Boromir and Faramir, Faramir got every drop of Númenorean blood Lord Denethor and Lady Finduilas had to offer. Even Boromir admits to it."  
  
"Such a pity." Elrond said almost sadly.  
  
"Agreed." I replied. "But fate moves as it will, and the Númenorean attributes of Faramir and Boromir have their roles to play, as do most things in this world." The three males stared at me for a moment.  
  
"That sounded surprisingly wise." Elrohir commented finally.  
  
"What, you don't think I can be wise when I want to be?" I sniffed defensively.  
  
"When you want to be? Of course. I have just never heard of a time when you wanted to be." Elrohir said, arching an eyebrow. "Even from Kari."  
  
"Yes, well, she and I tend to be slightly insane when we're near each other, so that's no surprise." I said. "Now, is there food somewhere around here? My stomach wants some." The three males seemed to relax as I returned to my normal, predictable self, and lead the way to the dining hall, where breakfast was just beginning to be served. Glorfindel and Elladan were already there, but much to my worry, while Elladan seemed to be pestering Glorfindel with questions, Glorfindel was studiously ignoring Elladan. Glorfindel NEVER studiously ignored someone without good reason, and that little incident at my room was, as far as I knew, not a good enough reason.  
  
My worry only grew when, after the meal, Glorfindel came over and asked me to take a walk with him. I shot him a curious glance, then nodded in assent, and took the preferred arm and let Glorfindel lead me off. We walked in silence, passing many Elves who inclined their heads respectfully to Glorfindel. This made me absently wonder when I'd stopped doing that myself, and I determined that I had, for some reason, never really ever done so with Glorfindel. I could remember doing so for Elrond, but not Glorfindel. Before I could wonder on that more, however, Glorfindel spoke up.  
  
"I wish to apologize for last night." he started. I arched an eyebrow in surprise.  
  
"Really now." I said flatly. Glorfindel glanced at me, then focused his attention on the path again as he continued.  
  
"I normally find some place more...private when I find Dorwinnian wine. Unfortunately, I was already partially inebriated -"  
  
"OK, stop using big words. Not only am I still trying to sort my brain out from last night, but it's slightly scary." I interrupted. Glorfindel looked at me in surprise. "And anyways," I continued, "As I recall, I was the one that stuck my head out the window to see who was singing? And wasn't I the one that subsequently accepted your invitation to go sit in the tree and have some of the Dorwinnian wine?" I arched an eyebrow at Glorfindel, and he nodded, looking slightly surprised.  
  
"I am still apologizing, however." Glorfindel said after a moment. I sighed in exasperation.  
  
"There is no need to apologize, Glory." I said, then after a pause, added with curiosity, "What precisely did you want to apologize about, anyways? Just all of last night in general?"  
  
"The end of it." Glorfindel replied dryly.  
  
"The part where you passed out on the foot of my bed?" I asked, and Glorfindel nodded almost gravely. I chuckled. "Then you REALLY don't need to apologize. That was actually fairly amusing." Glorfindel looked at me in surprise.  
  
"Really." he said, and I nodded. I could see he wanted to add something to that, but he held his tongue and we continued walking. Not long after, we stopped in front of a building, and Glorfindel bid me goodbye before disappearing inside. I stared after him for a moment, frowning thoughtfully. Glorfindel had always been rather...informal with me, so to speak. It hadn't even occurred to me that he would ever try to apologize for something like last night - that sounded more like something one of the other stuffy Elf-lords around would do, presuming they ever LET themselves get that drunk. Letting my mind wander in an attempt to figure out why Glorfindel had suddenly gone stuffy Elf-lord on me, Elrohir's words from the night before came back to me:  
  
'Lord Glorfindel's true personality only shows when he is drunk....the rest of the time it is simply an act for the other lords.'  
  
I frowned lightly in thought. Glorfindel had certainly loosened up last night the more Dorwinnian wine he had, but he'd still been informal with me before that. Then what Elrohir had said after that popped into my head -  
  
'Grandmother once commented that the female who got Lord Glorfindel to act like he was drunk when he was not would end out being his wife. The scary part is, I think she was speaking from foreknowledge.'  
  
I pursed my lips and held in a curse, shaking my head. I was letting my thoughts run away with themselves, and that was never good. So Glorfindel had an extreme problem of trying to be someone he wasn't, and I happened to be exacerbating it. What of it? Elladan probably did the same thing, by virtue of being just about as insane as I was. Otherwise it wouldn't have been so easy for me to break through to the other Glorfindel in such a short - aka, almost nil - space of time.  
  
"Is the door interesting?" a voice said behind me, and I whirled to find the one and only Elladan. Glancing behind me, I realized I'd been staring at the door Glorfindel had disappeared through for the past several minutes while I thought.  
  
"Think of the devil." I murmured to myself in amusement as I turned my attention back to Elladan, then said louder, "Not so interesting as what the voices in my head are saying."  
  
"Voices in your head?" Elladan asked, arching an eyebrow. I nodded.  
  
"They're telling me that the ladybugs are invading." I said. Elladan blinked.  
  
"Really." he said. I smiled and nodded again in response. After a moment of silence, I shook my head and chuckled.  
  
"No. I was just thinking." I said.  
  
"What about?" Elladan asked.  
  
"Who else but good ol' Glory?" I replied, rolling my eyes. "He seems to have decided to go prissy Elf-lord on me, and I was trying to figure out why."  
  
"Did you not see the looks he was getting at breakfast from the other Lords?" Elladan asked in amusement. I blinked in surprise.  
  
"No, I didn't." I said. "The food was far too good to pay attention to something like that. Why? What sort of looks was he getting?"  
  
"Disapproving, to say the least." Elladan said dryly. "Through not fault of mine, the story that Glorfindel spent the night in your room seems to have made its way around." I blinked.  
  
"So?" I asked. "I KNOW that isn't cause for disapproving stares - if it was, you would be getting plenty."  
  
"They have given up on giving me disapproving stares, actually. But that is beside the point, since you are right about his spending the night in your room not being enough for disapproving stares to be sent his way." Elladan said. "It is more due to his recent...well, they would call it immature, behavior, as well as the fact that the story of Glorfindel spending the night in your room includes the part about you both being drunk, and your kicking him out rather ungracefully this morning."  
  
"Soooo...they've decided that he's not acting like a respectable Elf-lord, and are shooting him disapproving looks for that, spurring him to go stuffy Elf-lord on me?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. Elladan nodded. "Tell me, Elladan, how long has Glory been a high-ranking Elf-lord?" Elladan frowned slightly.  
  
"I would have to ask father to know for certain, but as far as I know he was born to his position." he said.  
  
"So Glory's had to fit in with all the other stuffy Elf-lords all his life?" I asked, and Elladan nodded.  
  
"As far as I know. Why do you ask?" Elladan asked, looking at me curiously.  
  
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'm trying to point something out." I said dryly. "Like, maybe all the stuffy Elf-lords need to frigging lay off Glory. He's been alive for longer than I care to know, killed a Balrog, died and come back to life, and yet they still frown at him in disapproval if he dares to act like himself instead of like some sedate old grandfather?" There was a pause.  
  
"Maybe you should go point that out to Glorfindel." Elladan said. "I think he would get more use out if than I or even the other Elf-lords."  
  
"Probably." I said. "Where is he?"  
  
"I think he is in a meeting with some important Lords." Elladan said, a slow smile spreading across his face as he answered. My eyes lit up and I grinned.  
  
"Ooooh, perfect timing then." I said. "Just need to think up a way to get him out..."  
  
"Can I help?" Elladan asked brightly. I paused, and then nodded.  
  
"I'd get lost trying to find the meeting room by myself, anyways." I said with a grin.  
  
---  
  
Glorfindel shifted in his chair as he listened to Lord Manveru continue his report on the defenses of Rivendell. The report was basically for the benefit of the other Lords at the meeting, as Glorfindel knew more about the defenses of Rivendell than Manveru did. But then, most of the reports made at these meetings were for the benefit of the other Lords. Glorfindel seemed to be the only one in Rivendell - beside Elrond - who kept track of things outside of weekly reports at meetings. Most of the Lords hadn't even seen the places or parts of Rivendell they were supposed to be in charge of. Glorfindel couldn't remember the last time he'd heard of Lord Námovaryar going into the stables, which were in his charge. In fact, Glorfindel had heard that Námovaryar was AFRAID of horses.  
  
Glorfindel brought his thoughts back to the meeting and desperately tried to pay attention as he felt a frown forming. It would not do for him to get so wrapped up in his thoughts that he lost track of the meeting completely. The other Lords were already giving him odd looks for his little escapade with the Dorwinnian wine and Rachel last night.  
  
Glorfindel almost sighed in relief when Manveru finished his report, but held it, and the groan it turned into, back as Lord Maltahonda started asking Manveru to clarify some points. There was nothing to clarify, really, if one simply remembered what had been talked about at the LAST meeting, but like senile old humans, none of the other Elf-lords seemed to remember anything from one meeting to the next. Or even one day to the next.  
  
Now, as Lord Anganámië started up a debate on how many more elves they had on border duty since last week - 17 - Glorfindel absently wished that a Balrog would appear in the middle of the room so he wouldn't have to stand any more of this. Then he had to hold back a wry smile at his wish - he'd been suffering his way through meetings like this for centuries, but he couldn't remember ever having wished for a Balrog to appear before. His memory of how unpleasant his last encounter with a Balrog was must be failing somewhat.  
  
"Lord Elladan, this is a highly impo -" Glorfindel's attention instantly focused one the Lords again and found that they had been joined by Elladan, who had snagged Lord Maltahonda's chair out from underneath him while he'd been standing up and was now sitting in it, leaning back with his - muddy - boots propped up on the table.  
  
"- important meeting that cannot be interrupted even if the Dark Lord Sauron is knocking at the door with the One Ring on his hand and all the hosts of Mordor behind him." Elladan said, imitating Lord Maltahonda's voice almost perfectly. Then he executed a slightly disrespectful bow from his sitting position and said, "I know, milord Maltahonda. However, I simply could not wait to know if you had all heard of the offer of forces the Halflings brought with them." Glorfindel looked at Elladan in confusion, wondering what on Arda he was going on about. Glorfindel knew the Halflings had brought nothing with them except themselves, their appetites, and the One Ring. The other Lords apparently didn't, however, and after a brief silence, suddenly started shooting questions at Elladan.  
  
With a sigh, Glorfindel stood and prepared to cut off Elladan's - actually rather amusing - joke, but he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder, and he whirled to find himself staring at Rachel. Surprised, he wondered how he hadn't noticed her entrance, then realized that his attention, like the rest of the Lord's currently was, had been on Elladan.  
  
"Come on, Elladan can't keep them distracted forever." Rachel said quietly, then moved to the small side exit of the room and held the door open. Glorfindel looked at her in surprise, then back at the Lords. His duty was to stay at the meeting, he knew, and if he disappeared, he'd be on the receiving end of even MORE scowls and disapproving looks. But he really really REALLY didn't want to stay. Especially since Rachel and Elladan had gone to all this trouble to get him out of the meeting.  
  
That last one was a feeble excuse to justify his actions, he realized as he dashed through the door, Rachel close behind. He also realized, however, that he really didn't care. It actually felt really GOOD to be escaping that meeting, though he knew it shouldn't, and that he shouldn't be thinking of it as 'escaping'.  
  
"Stop. We need to wait for Elladan." Rachel said suddenly, grabbing the back of Glorfindel's tunic and pulling him into an alcove in the hall. Glorfindel obliged, and then turned to face Rachel.  
  
"Now can you tell me what in Arda you and Elladan are up to?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"Getting you out of that meeting, of course." Rachel said with an impish grin. "We figured that since we almost fell asleep after listening for only a minute or so at the door, you could use some rescuing. And anyways, I wanted to give you some lessons in loosening up and not caring what the other stuffy Elf-lords think of you."  
  
"Why?" Glorfindel asked in curiosity, though he knew he really shouldn't have been encouraging her.  
  
"Because the only way they will ever approve of you is if you become one of them, and that would be REALLY bad, trust me. Not to mention that you've been through a hell of a lot more than them and so, by this point, THEY should be the ones worrying about what YOU think about them." Rachel replied, then paused and added, "Did that make any sense?" Glorfindel smiled.  
  
"Perfect sense." he said, recalling the number of times he'd had those exact thoughts when he'd first come back. Of course, he'd never spoken them out loud to anyone, even Elrond, and had dismissed them with various excuses. Now, it was relieving to hear someone else voicing the same thoughts - even if it was Rachel.  
  
"Did I miss you telling him to loosen up?" Glorfindel's memories were interrupted as Elladan came to a sudden stop beside the alcove, causing both Glorfindel and Rachel to start slightly, as neither had heard him coming.  
  
"By a miniscule amount of time." Rachel said. "The horses are waiting right outside?"  
  
"Horses?" Glorfindel asked, his eyebrows shooting up as Elladan nodded.  
  
"Yep, we're going for a ride." Rachel said, flashing Glorfindel a grin.  
  
"At least, you and Rachel are." Elladan said with a dejected sigh. "I have to stay behind and keep the other Lords from going ballistic." Rachel rolled her eyes.  
  
"Hey, you're the one that insisted on staying behind. I told you that you could come if you wanted to." she said. "The whole point is to not CARE what the other Elf-lords think."  
  
"Ah yes, but there is a difference between them thinking and them going ballistic!" Elladan said cheerfully. "Now shoo, you both need to get some riding clothes on, and the other Lords are not slow enough to still not have noticed Glorfindel's absence!"  
  
"Going going gone..." Rachel said, then grabbed Glorfindel's hand and pulled him off down the passageway before he could protest - not that he particularly wanted to. Get out of a boring meeting to go riding with a beautiful maiden? Oh no, Glorfindel wasn't complaining at all.  
  
To Glorfindel's surprise, Rachel managed to lead him straight to his rooms, where she waved quickly, then dashed off - presumably to her own rooms - without another word. Glorfindel looked after her with amusement for a moment, then disappeared into his own room and quickly changed out of his robes and into some riding clothes. He threw a cloak over his shoulders, then emerged from his rooms - and found Rachel already waiting for him in some slightly odd winter riding clothes.  
  
Her dress and cloak were both in the current style of Gondor, from what Glorfindel could tell, but there seemed to be something...different about them. It took Glorfindel a moment to sort it out, but he eventually realized that the dress was more form-fitting, shorter, and generally less proper, than any riding dress he had ever seen. But the cloak almost looked like a blanket. Glorfindel dubbed it 'Rachel Style' and decided not to ask as she grabbed his hand again and pulled him off down the hall.  
  
Rachel led Glorfindel through the halls of Rivendell quickly, ducking out of sight of everybody, Elf-lord or not, and soon they reached a little-used side door. Stepping through it, they came out into a fast-becoming pleasantly warm autumn day - their cloaks were probably unnecessary, Glorfindel mused - and found Asfaloth and Black Thunder waiting for them. Black Thunder was tied to a tree, as human horses were wont to wander off, but Asfaloth was wandering around eating just about anything green he could get his mouth around. Glorfindel sighed as he pulled Asfaloth away from his meal, wondering not for the first time if the Valar had given him Asfaloth to prepare him to deal with hobbits. Both creatures seemed to want to do the same things, at least - eat and rest.  
  
Shaking his head, Glorfindel dismissed his thoughts and jumped lightly onto Asfaloth's back. Deftly directing the horse with his legs and hands, Glorfindel turned Asfaloth just as Rachel mounted up on Black Thunder - rather ungracefully and cursing her height the entire time - then motioned for him to go first.  
  
"It's up to you where we go from here." she said. "Just as long as it's far away from the main part of Rivendell. And inside the border guards. I have a theory that I'm long overdue to be attacked by Orcs."  
  
"How about we actually finish the spot-check of the border guards?" Glorfindel suggested, and Rachel shrugged.  
  
"As I said, it's up to you." she said. Glorfindel smiled slightly, then set Asfaloth into a brisk trot and headed out of Rivendell proper.   
  
They rode in silence for a time, enjoying the scenery, but eventually Glorfindel decided some conversation would be nice. Especially since they were nearing the border guards stations and he wanted to test just how good - or bad - the border guards hearing was. So he dug around and came up with the obvious topic.  
  
"Out of curiosity, what prompted your and Elladan's sudden urge to encourage me to neglect my duties?"  
  
"Well, quite frankly, you're actually really really scary when you turn serious Elf-lord." Rachel said with a small smile. "Which you did on me for the first time this morning. It freaked me out, which got me thinking, and then Elladan showed up and answered a few of the questions my thinking had brought up, and that resulted in the conclusion that you need to loosen up and stop worrying about what the other Elf-lords think about you." Glorfindel blinked.  
  
"Being scared makes you think?" he asked.  
  
"Being freaked out makes me think, yes. Once I calm down somewhat." Rachel replied cheerily.  
  
"How...interesting." Glorfindel said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Agh, you officially belong to the EES." Rachel said completely randomly, making a face.  
  
"The what?" Glorfindel asked in confusion, totally lost as to what she was talking about.  
  
"The EES. The Evil Eyebrow Society." Rachel replied.  
  
"I repeat - the what?" Glorfindel asked again, arching an eyebrow again.  
  
"The Evil Eyebrow Society." Rachel replied patiently. "Those in it have creepy eyebrows in some manner or another. So far it consists of you, Elrond and Kevin Richardson."  
  
"Kevin who?" Glorfindel asked blankly.  
  
"Singer from back home. I, and many other people, swore that his eyebrows were really just caterpillar symbiotes that lived on his face." Rachel replied matter-of-factly. Glorfindel eyed her for a second, trying to decide if she was serious. Before he could decide, she frowned lightly and added, "And then there's the honorary member JC Chasez. Because his goatee looked like the streaked triplet of Kevin's eyebrows." Glorfindel shook his head.  
  
"Sometimes I wonder why I even bother trying to understand you." he said wryly.  
  
"Because you know that, deep down, somewhere, I am making sense." Rachel said with a grin. "You just haven't found that somewhere yet. Mostly because I hid it - a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away." Rachel giggled slightly, and then dissolved into full-fledged laughter. Glorfindel unconsciously moved Asfaloth away from her a bit, slightly unnerved by the 'laughing at nothing' thing. Nonsensical ramblings he could tolerate - he actually found them to be quite entertaining - but laughing at nothing? That made him SLIGHTLY concerned. And, as luck would have it, Rachel spotted his confused/concerned/freaked out look. She instantly stopped laughing and shook her head with a wistful sigh.  
  
"I REALLY need to find Kari and make my peace with her. Nobody else around here gets half my jokes." she said.  
  
"Perhaps if you did not continuously make jokes that related to your home..." Glorfindel suggested.  
  
"Yes, well, that's where the other half of my jokes that people around here DO get come in." Rachel said, waving her hand through the air dismissively. "Really, though, you'd think that after 800 years here, my experiences would have far outweighed the 20-odd years I spent at home, and I wouldn't still be dragging up material from there for jokes."  
  
"Maybe your home was funnier?" Glorfindel said with a small smile. Rachel blinked, looked at him for a moment, and then chuckled.  
  
"Too true, too true." she said. "I think it must be a bad side effect of not having such a clear-cut line between good and evil."  
  
"Oh?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"Mm, yes. Everything's so black-and-white, good-and-evil here. Back home everything is just a mush of grey mid-tones, and people can debate for years over whether a murderer is actually evil or just misunderstood." Rachel said, with no little amusement in her voice. "Hell, you remember that weapon I told you about that could wipe out an entire city and poison the lands around it for centuries?" Glorfindel nodded. "The only times it was ever really used in combat, it was used ON the supposedly bad guys by the supposedly GOOD guys."  
  
"Truly?" Glorfindel asked, somewhat shocked. Rachel nodded.  
  
"Of course, nobody really knew how bad it was at that point, and once they did know, it was decided that it should never be used again." she said. Then Glorfindel made the mistake of asking if this weapon was safe and far from the reach of Sauron, which prompted Rachel to start in on an explanation of something called 'atomic theory' and 'quantum mechanics'. The gist of the entire explanation, as far as Glorfindel could tell, was that the weapon was readily available to Sauron if he had the technology, but there was no way in or outside of Middle-Earth he would get the technology in anything less than several hundred years, and the hints Rachel constantly dropped lead Glorfindel to believe that Sauron wouldn't be around that long.  
  
Eventually, Glorfindel was forced to halt Rachel's explanation to hail a guard that had spotted them and was now watching from his post in confusion - though whether it was from seeing Glorfindel out with a strange lady he probably hadn't seen before, or from Rachel's rambling, Glorfindel couldn't figure out. At first. Then Rachel asked the guard if he'd knew the muffin man, and Glorfindel decided that it was most definitely Rachel's rambling that was confusing the guard.  
  
"The muffin man?" Glorfindel asked as they rode on to the next guard station.  
  
"It's a kid's rhyme from home. It goes 'Do you know the muffin man, the muffin man, do you know the muffin man who lives on Dreary Lane!'" Rachel sang the last part, and then chuckled to herself. "I haven't sung that in ages."  
  
"It does not really make sense..." Glorfindel commented with a slight frown.  
  
"'Course it doesn't. Most kid's rhymes don't." Rachel replied with a shrug. "Heck, it's not even that funny until you go around randomly asking people if they know the muffin man. Kari and I did that in Sydney - a city back home - once. It was quite amusing. You could tell the locals from the tourists, because the tourists would just look at us funny, while the locals would ask without missing a beat if we meant the one that lived on Dreary Lane."  
  
"Tourists?" Glorfindel asked in confusion.  
  
"Oh, sorry, forgot you wouldn't know what a tourist is. Hm, call them visitors, there to see the sights. It would be like someone from Rohan traveling to Minas Tirith for no other reason than to look around the White City." Rachel replied.  
  
"That sounds...rather useless." Glorfindel commented.  
  
"It is." Rachel replied with a chuckle. "Fun, though. You get to see parts of the world you've never been to before."  
  
"I take it you have been a...tourist...at some point?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"Me? Probably, though I tried not to be. Most of the places I went to at home I usually went to to see relatives or to do business." Rachel replied with a shrug. A comfortable silence fell as they continued to ride, and lasted until they reached the next guard station. The guards still managed to notice them, however, and hailed Glorfindel cheerily enough when they arrived at the base of the guard post. They exchanged pleasantries, Rachel asked if they knew the muffin man - a confused 'no' was the answer - and then Glorfindel and Rachel continued on their way.  
  
"So how many guard stations are there left, anyways?" Rachel asked as they continued.  
  
"Three or four." Glorfindel replied, then teased with a small smile, "Why, getting bored already?"  
  
"Nah, I'm just wondering if we're going to be able to get them done before lunch." Rachel said.  
  
"Ah." There was a pause. "Speaking of lunch -"  
  
"Elladan's going to bring out a picnic lunch to a garden he showed me how to get to." Rachel supplied with a wry smile. Glorfindel's eyebrow shot up.  
  
"You two planned this very carefully." he commented.  
  
"Well, we figured it would be best if you weren't seen in Rivendell proper for the rest of the day." Rachel said with a small smile.  
  
"So I get to ride around all day instead?" Glorfindel asked, eyeing Asfaloth uncertainly.  
  
"Not necessarily. You should just stay out of Rivendell proper. Walking around outside of there, sitting and thinking, and going to your study are all acceptable options besides riding." Rachel replied.  
  
"My study is in Rivendell proper, you know." Glorfindel said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"As far as I'm concerned, anything that far away from well-used corridors is not in Rivendell proper anymore." Rachel replied emphatically, and Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"Yes, but the other Lords would be sure to look there." he said.  
  
"I suppose." Rachel said with a light frown. "OK, so your study wouldn't be a good idea. Anywhere else is fair game, though!" Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"Very well." he said. Once more, a comfortable silence fell, and lasted until the next guard station. The same thing happened at this one as at the last - including Rachel's inquiry after the muffin man and confused negative answer - but after they left the guards, they fell silent once again. Rachel seemed content to just look around at the scenery, and after looking at the scenery himself for awhile, Glorfindel decided that it was far too long since he simply looked around without worry for an attack.   
  
So he let himself relax, and looked around without worrying that every sound was an Orc hiding in a bush. And somehow, he managed to spend more time watching Rachel than looking at the scenery, though he always yanked his gaze back to his surroundings the instant he realized he was watching Rachel. The fact that his gaze kept slipping back to Rachel, anyways, just annoyed Glorfindel, though, and soon he was tensely watching the surroundings and waiting for an Orc to pop out of a bush at any moment just to keep his mind off of where his eyes kept wanting to go.  
  
Because of this, when they came to the next guard station, and the guards didn't hear him and Rachel approaching, Glorfindel practically snapped the Elves heads off. They retreated in embarrassment when Glorfindel and Rachel finally turned away, and once the two were outside of earshot of the guards, Rachel spoke up.  
  
"Ok, when did that stick get shoved up your arse?" she demanded, halting Black Thunder and turning to face Glorfindel. Asfaloth had stopped out of instinct, so Glorfindel had nothing to do but look at Rachel and arch an eyebrow, silently asking for her to repeat what she'd just said in language he could understand. "You skewered those poor guards! Why the heck were you so mean?!"  
  
"I was not being mean. They were neglecting their duties." Glorfindel said tersely.  
  
"So are you." Rachel said, arching an eyebrow. Glorfindel paused, then, against his will, his lips twitched slightly in a smile.  
  
"I suppose I became wrapped up in my thoughts." he said. Rachel eyed him for a moment, and then nodded.  
  
"Very well. But if that's what your thoughts do to you, then we shall have to stop you from thinking." Rachel said, and Glorfindel had a moment to feel dread before Rachel started pestering him with questions about the stars, and soon he was so busy answering that he had very little time to think about more than his answers and how far away the next guard station was.  
  
They continued on checking guard stations while chattering for quite some time, but when they were leaving the third to last station, Rachel announced it was time for lunch. Then, with Rachel leading, the two of them set off back in the vague direction of Rivendell proper. After only a short while of Rachel peering around and muttering to herself about things looking familiar and being sure it was this way, both were thoroughly surprised when they entered a clearing and found Elladan waiting for them on his horse, a picnic basket behind him.  
  
"Hey cool, I found it!" Rachel said with a grin, and Glorfindel chuckled. Elladan shook his head wryly.  
  
"And you are not too late, either." he said as he urged his horse over to the Glorfindel and Rachel.  
  
"Which is the really amazing part, since I could probably find just about anywhere if I was given enough time to wander around." Rachel said.  
  
"Indeed." Elladan said with a small smile, then pulled the picnic basket off from behind him on the horse and held it out. "Here, it should still be warm."  
  
"Aren't you saying?" Rachel asked as she took the basket. Elladan shook his head.  
  
"The Lords decided to complain to father about Glorfindel going missing, and have cited me as an accomplice. Father seems to heartily approve of our little escapade, but out of respect for the Lords, he has me working in the library for the rest of the day - where I'm checked on every hour or so. I have Erestor covering for me now, but I really need to get back." he said.  
  
"Perhaps it would just be easier if I went back?" Glorfindel said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"NO!" Rachel and Elladan said at once.  
  
"I finally got Erestor on my side for once, you cannot ruin that!" Elladan said in a pitiful tone of voice, and Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"Very well." he said. "Not like I want to, anyways."  
  
"There's the Glory we all know and love!" Rachel said cheerfully, hopping down off of Black Thunder. "Well, if you've gotta go, Elladan, then you should probably go. Have fun in the library with Mírëría!"  
  
"She's off visiting family." Elladan replied, shooting a glare at Rachel.  
  
"Ah, such a pity. And I had such high hopes that something good might come of your punishment." Rachel said with mock disappointment. Elladan rolled his eyes.  
  
"Farewell, Rachel, Glorfindel." he said, then with a wave and returned farewells, he set off at a brisk trot for the main part of Rivendell.  
  
"Ooo, he found some meat pies..." Rachel commented, peering in the basket once Elladan was gone.  
  
"Indeed?" Glorfindel asked, both eyebrows rising as he dismounted from Asfaloth.  
  
"Yeah...he must have had a hay-day flirting with the cooks." Rachel replied, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"He always does." Glorfindel replied dryly.  
  
"Too true." Rachel said with a grin, then handed the basket to Glorfindel and took her mare to a tree and tied her securely to one of the branches. Glorfindel, meanwhile, had shooed Asfaloth off a ways and spread his cloak on the ground before sitting on it and uncovering the basket. As Rachel returned, Glorfindel began pulling things out of the basket. Once the basket was emptied, the two set to eating, and before long they had finished the picnic and lay back on their cloaks, talking about random things and looking up at the sky.  
  
"We should probably finish with the border guards." Rachel commented after awhile.  
  
"Probably. But I believe the whole point of this was to get me away from my duties?" Glorfindel commented.  
  
"True." Rachel said.  
  
"So let us forget about the border guards and explore. It has been far too long since I explored Rivendell." Glorfindel said.  
  
"Sounds good to me. On horse or on foot?"  
  
"Both!" Glorfindel replied cheerily, sitting up and starting to pack up the remains of the picnic. Rachel nodded and sat up as well, helped Glorfindel briefly, then stood and headed towards Black Thunder. Halfway to her horse, she stopped, glanced around, and then turned in a full circle, squinting into the trees as though looking for something.  
  
"Rachel?" Glorfindel asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Where's Asfaloth?" Rachel asked. Glorfindel paused, and then looked around. Not immediately seeing his horse, he whistled, but the horse did not emerge.  
  
"Silly horse probably wandered back to his pasture." Glorfindel grumbled.  
  
"I thought Elvish horses didn't wander off?" Rachel asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Elvish horses do not wander away from home and get lost. They DO, sometimes, wander away TO home. Especially if they are my horse." Glorfindel replied, rolling his eyes.  
  
"And here I thought he was a smart horse." Rachel said in amusement.  
  
"Smart as a hobbit." Glorfindel snorted.  
  
"Hey, don't diss the hobbits!" Rachel said defensively. "Hobbits are cool! Hairy, but cool." Glorfindel just held up his hands in mock surrender and chuckled.  
  
"Very well. Shall we go find my errant horse, or walk and ride double on your mare if need to?" he asked.  
  
"As I recall, Asfaloth's pasture is rather close to Rivendell proper. So, let's just let him be. Walking is fun, anyways." Rachel said.  
  
"What shall we do with the basket, then?" Glorfindel asked, holding up the object in question.  
  
"Leave it out of the way somewhere. Elladan said he would come back for it later. And if he doesn't, we can always come get it." Rachel replied with a shrug. Glorfindel nodded, put the basket beneath a tree, and then went over to Rachel where she stood beside Black thunder, holding the mare's reins.  
  
"Where to?" Rachel asked.  
  
"Pick a direction." Glorfindel said, making a sweeping gesture with one hand to indicate all the directions that lead away from the main part of Rivendell.  
  
"That way." Rachel said, randomly pointing across the clearing they'd just picnicked in. Glorfindel nodded, and they set off.  
  
---  
  
"Enjoy yourselves?" Elladan asked cheerfully as Glorfindel and I walked into the main building of Rivendell.  
  
"Would have, if genius here hadn't kept losing things. Like his horse. And us." I said, rolling my eyes and jerking my thumb towards Glorfindel.  
  
"Asfaloth wandered off by himself!" Glorfindel said defensively. It was after midnight, and Glorfindel and I had just found our way back to the buildings of Rivendell after spending the majority of the evening lost.  
  
"Doesn't change the fact that you got us lost." I muttered. Elladan chuckled.  
  
"You got lost, Glorfindel? That is something new." he said, amusement dancing across his face. "You must have been very distracted." Almost like we'd practiced it, Glorfindel hit Elladan in the arm at the same time as I whacked the half-elf on the back of the head.  
  
"Ow! No fair!" Elladan whined, trying to rub his head and arm at the same time.  
  
"Very fair!" I said cheerfully.  
  
"How so?" Elladan asked with a mock scowl.  
  
"Because I said it is." I replied with an innocent smile. Elladan glared even harder.  
  
"If you three are quite done?" a new voice said, and I whirled to see Elrond stepping out of the shadows in the hallway, somehow looking serious, yet amused at the same time. I glanced back at Elladan and he shrugged sheepishly. Glorfindel whacked him again, and he edged away from the Elf-lord while rubbing his arm and mumbling something about revenge.  
  
"Good evening, Lord Elrond." I said cheerfully.  
  
"Good evening indeed." Elrond said in that same amused, yet serious, way. "Glorfindel, the Lords wish to have a word with you tomorrow before lunch."  
  
"Of course." Glorfindel said smoothly.  
  
"I would suggest you stay to hear what they have to say this time." Elrond said dryly. Glorfindel just nodded in response. "As for you, Rachel, I have need to speak with you. Now."  
  
"I just spent the entire evening wandering around Rivendell. Can't it wait until morning?" I asked, eyeing Elrond uneasily.  
  
"Unfortunately, no." he said, with a far too cheerful smile.  
  
"Fine." I said with a sigh, and with that, Elrond turned and headed off down the hall, apparently expecting me to follow. I glanced at Elladan and Glorfindel, gave a little wave, and then dashed off down the hall.  
  
Not surprisingly, Elrond led me directly to his study, where he had to light a few candles before taking his seat behind his desk. He didn't motion or indicate to me that I should take the one seat still in the room, and I wasn't quite sure what was going on, so I remained standing. I began to shift uneasily from foot to foot, however, as Elrond simply sat in his chair and watched me with a contemplative look on his face.  
  
"I thought you needed to speak with me?" I asked tentatively after a time. There was a pause, then Elrond seemed to shake himself out of whatever his thoughts were, and he nodded briskly.  
  
"Indeed I do." he said. "Gandalf and I had a discussion this afternoon, after things had calmed down, about several things. We have decided that the Ring cannot stay in Rivendell. And, after today, I do not think you can, either."  
  
"I can handle disapproving Elf-lords." I said with a roll of my eyes.  
  
"I know. But I am not sure they will be able to handle you." Elrond said, a smile threatening to form on his lips. "I know you claim that the way to Lothlorien is too dangerous for you to travel at this time, but I truly believe it would be best if you were to go there as soon as possible."  
  
"Hey, if you're gonna kick me out, there's not much I can do." I said with a shrug. Elrond shot me a weary look.  
  
"I am not 'kicking' you out. I am simply suggesting that it might be a good idea for you to leave for a time." he said. "Among other things, I think it is best for you to speak with Kari yourself instead of letting the news of your return reach her by other means."  
  
"That's what I'm trying to put off, to be honest." I said with a sigh, and Elrond nodded in understanding.  
  
"Nonetheless, you need to do it." he said, and I nodded.  
  
"OK, but how am I going to get to Lothlorien? I'm not going to risk going without an escort. I've had far too much luck in the No Orc Attack department." I said.  
  
"There will, perhaps, be an opportunity in a few months -"  
  
"NO." I said firmly, and Elrond looked at me in slight surprise. "I'm not messing with that little group. And besides, I thought you said I needed to leave soon? There will be messengers going to Lothlorien soon, right? Why don't I go with them?"  
  
"They will be riding fast and hard." Elrond said with a light frown.  
  
"So? I made it from Bree to Minas Tirith in under a month." I said, arching an eyebrow. Elrond looked at me in surprise, and I added, "On Liltalen." Elrond chuckled.  
  
"Very well. You shall go with whatever messenger goes to Lothlorien." he said, then added with a small smile, "Most likely Elrohir."  
  
"Eh, I think he's going to have other things to do..." I said, shifting from foot to foot again. Elrond arched an eyebrow, and then nodded in acceptance.  
  
"As you say." he said. "Be prepared to leave with the messengers, then. That is all for now."  
  
"Yay - sleep time!" I said cheerfully, then waved to Elrond and dashed out, making for my rooms. When I arrived at them, I changed quickly into a nightgown and then collapsed into bed, asleep within moments. It seemed that no sooner had I fallen asleep, however, then the sun was falling across my face and someone was knocking on my door. With a groan, I hauled myself out of bed, put on a dressing robe and stalked over to the door. Opening the door revealed Boromir preparing to knock again, and I sighed.  
  
"What's up?" I asked.  
  
"It is near noon. I thought perhaps you might want to join me for lunch and then some sparring." Boromir replied, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Noon?" I asked, blinking in surprise. Boromir nodded.  
  
"You seem to have slept late today." he said with a smirk.  
  
"Paying for lack of sleep." I grumbled in reply. "Well, I'd love to join you, but I'll need to freshen up, first. You can come in and wait, I won't be long." Boromir looked doubtful at that, and I rolled my eyes. "I won't, trust me." Boromir smiled slightly, nodded, and entered when I held the door open for him. I shut the door behind him, then disappeared back into my bedroom and set about getting 'freshened up'.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, much to Boromir's surprise - he had settled down with a book - I emerged from my room, ready to go in that still-not-returned set of clothes I had borrowed from Elladan. They had been washed several times since I borrowed them, and I had since acquired another set to wear when this one was dirty, but they were still Elladan's and not my own.  
  
"Remind me to see about getting my own breeches and tunics after we finish sparring today." I said thoughtfully as Boromir and I set off for the main hall. Boromir smiled slightly again, then nodded.  
  
"Of course." he said.  
  
When we arrived at the main hall, it was mostly empty, and it became apparent that lunch had actually just finished. Nonetheless, Boromir and I managed to get some food, which we ate quickly before heading off to one of the more common sparring rings we used. At least, that was where we had started for. Halfway there, we ran into Glorfindel.  
  
Or, more appropriately, he almost ran US over.  
  
Glorfindel cast us an annoyed glance when we didn't move out of his way quick enough, apparently not recognizing us, as the instant he DID recognize us, his scowl immediately smoothed into a polite smile. Then, as he realized what I was wearing, the polite smile turned into a warm one, and a gleam entered his eyes.  
  
"Going to practice?" he asked.  
  
"Aye, Lord Glorfindel." Boromir replied even as I nodded warily, not trusting the gleam in Glorfindel's eyes.  
  
"Would you perhaps mind if I joined you?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"As long as you only spar with Boromir." I replied. "My last spar with you was done far too quickly for me to want to have another go with you until I've had a LOT more practice." Glorfindel and Boromir both chuckled.  
  
-*-*-  
  
CS: Yes, long, I know. The longest of all of them...it was actually three or four chapters. I removed it because...well, I had planned from the beginning for things to happen the way they actually did in the story, but I wasn't in a mood to write that type of scene when I got to that part. Stupid me didn't stop writing. Also, I don't like the characterizations later in the section...  
  
Haldir: Probably because they are very far off and odd...  
  
CS: Yeah...At least I changed the part about Rachel and Glorfy leaving the meeting via a secret passage, though.  
  
Gil-Galad: ...Rivendell doesn't even HAVE secret passages...I should know, I had many arguments with Elrond over putting them in.  
  
Haldir: Why, didn't he want some?  
  
Gil-Galad: No...claimed that Imladris was a refuge, and that if it was attacked, there was no where they could escape TO, even if they did have secret passages...He cited Gondolin as an example.  
  
CS: ...What about Valinor?  
  
Gil-Galad: *shrug* Elrond gets far too wrapped up in history sometimes...I think he forgot about Valinor.  
  
Haldir: *blink*  
  
Gil-Galad: Or at least that Elves could escape back to it now...  
  
CS: Alrighty then, it's official: Elrond's demented.  
  
Elrohir: *appears* Coulda told you that years ago. *disapears*  
  
CS: Oh look, a twin fly-by...  
  
Haldir: Or just a fly twin...  
  
CS: *whacks Haldir* Thou shalt not diss the sexy Elf-lords! Even if thou art a sexy Elf-lord thyself!  
  
Haldir: *thwacks CS back, and the two proceed to start a...well, let's be honest, it's a Thwapping and Poking War*  
  
Gil-Galad: *sighs* Here's the next bit...from chapter 47. Which I'm sure you all remember as the chapter that truly got Glorfindel and Rachel together - in the hot springs, of course. This particular part takes place just after Glorfindel makes his oh-so-intelligent observation about the month and the state of Rachel's clothes, implying the coldness of the situation.  
  
-*-*-  
  
"Mmm, true." I mumbled, though truth be told, I hadn't noticed the cold before he mentioned the month - even before I dove into the springs. I quickly scampered over to where Glorfindel had evidently dropped my belt and put it on, then proceeded over to where my boots were still resting on the first pool's banks and put them on. Now I was very much feeling the cold, and was thus quite thankful when, once I had my boots on, Glorfindel wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me up against him before leading me off for Caras Galadhon.  
  
I was close to shivering when we finally reached the Elven city, and cursing myself for an idiot for diving into that pool. I wouldn't be surprised if I became the first Elf ever to catch a cold because of that foolish action. Matters weren't helped any when Haldir suddenly popped up in front of Glorfindel and I.  
  
"Fall in a pool?" Haldir asked me, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Jumped in." I replied. "Now go 'way, Haldir. Wanna get to my flet and get warm." Haldir arched an eyebrow at me, and took the hint that I was not in the mood for squabbling. Unfortunately, he also took that as a sign that something was wrong, and concernedly followed Glorfindel and I. I kept shooting him looks, trying to get him to go away, but that was a hint he didn't seem to WANT to take. So I walked as close as I could to Glorfindel and huddled in on myself, intently ignoring Haldir.  
  
I hoped that Haldir would go away once we reached my flet, but the bugger ran ahead and stoked up the fire. Which, while it made my flet nice a warm, was a pain, because he was now in my flet and I couldn't very well get him to leave without being rude. I grumpily plunked myself down in front of the fire and continued to ignore Haldir - especially the strange look he gave me for sitting on the floor within a foot or so of the fire. He and Glorfindel then started talking quietly in Elvish, but I couldn't be bothered to pay attention and listen to what they were saying. I was too busy reveling in the fact that I was getting both warm and dry.  
  
Eventually, with Haldir and Glorfindel still quietly conversing in Elvish behind me, and the warm fire in front of me, I felt my eyes slip closed for sleep in a way that they hadn't done in over 800 years. I smiled sleepily, and though some part of me registered that an Elf sleeping with its eyes closed was a bad thing, I didn't care. Glorfindel apparently did, however, because before I could drift entirely into sleep, I felt his arms suddenly wrap around me and I was hoisted into his lap, as he had apparently sat down right behind me.  
  
"Rachel?" he asked quietly, his concern obvious in his voice.  
  
"'m sleepy." I muttered, cracking open an eye to look at him.  
  
"Then sleep. In Elvish fashion." Glorfindel said, looking at me intently.  
  
"Pfah." I grumbled, though now the sleepy urge to close my eyes was gone and I doubted I could sleep with my eyes closed if I wanted to. "You're no fun."  
  
"I am simply concerned." Glorfindel said softly.  
  
"Mm." I said slightly grumpily. Glorfindel shook his head slightly and kissed me lightly on the temple.  
  
"Perhaps you should go to bed if you wish to sleep?" he suggested.  
  
"Yeah, but you woke me up. Now I don't want to sleep anymore." I muttered.  
  
"I am sorry." Glorfindel said, but the apology was ruined due to the fact that I could hear amusement in his voice. I peered up at him.  
  
"Funny boy." I said, and poked his nose. Glorfindel went momentarily cross-eyed, trying to follow my finger as it poked his nose, and I giggled at the sight. Glorfindel shook his head.  
  
"I think bed would be a very good idea for you." he said.  
  
"No, not the evil bed!" I cried in mock horror, and latched onto the front of Glorfindel's tunic, pulling him closer to me, so we were almost nose-to-nose. "Keep the evil bed away from me!!" I exclaimed. Glorfindel looked somewhat frightened at this point, so I fell over - out of his lap - and started laughing.  
  
"Rachel, are you alright?" Glorfindel finally asked as I continued to giggle convulsively on the floor.  
  
"Yep." I giggled. "But the purple skeleton monkies named Jack are invading from Mars." Glorfindel's face entered my range of vision, looking deeply concerned. "This is all your fault, you realize." I told him.  
  
"Mine?" Glorfindel asked incredulously, and I nodded emphatically.  
  
"Didn't you believe me when I said you'd fried my brain?" I replied.  
  
"Not really, no." Glorfindel replied dryly. I tsked and waggled a finger at him.  
  
"Baaaaaaad Glorfindel!" I said, using the 'a' sound in 'bad' to imitate a sheep. Then I announced randomly, "I feel like I just had a dozen pixie stix and two liters of Pepsi."  
  
"Pixie stix? Pepsi?" Glorfindel asked in confusion, and I nodded emphatically.  
  
"Otherwise known as sugar, more sugar, and caffeine. The stuff that makes hyperness. Though apparently you can have the same effect. Hmm, wonder how much people back home would pay for bottled Glorfindel, then?" I paused thoughtfully. "Bottle of Pepsi is around $2, pixie stix are ten cents each...a dozen pixie stix and a bottle of Pepsi would therefore be around three and a half dollars. So $3.50 for bottled Glorfindel? Bah, far too cheap. Well, following my budget, rather expensive, but after taking that boat-" I was cut off by a kiss from Glorfindel.  
  
"You ramble, you know that?" Glorfindel asked when he pulled away.  
  
"Yes, but if it causes you to shut me up like that, then it's all good, yes?" I replied, arching an eyebrow. Then I propped myself up on an elbow and peered around.  
  
"Haldir left, right?" I asked, suddenly worried, and Glorfindel chuckled from the floor.  
  
"Yes, he left. After trying and failing to get an answer out of you at least a dozen times, he decided to let me see if I could get a response. So I told him to get out." Glorfindel smirked.  
  
"You're my hero." I said happily, giving him a big hug. Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"I am glad to hear that." he said with a smile, and kissed me again.  
  
---  
  
I know what you're thinking happened after that, but it didn't. Glorfindel and I continued to crack jokes in-between kisses for awhile longer, until my stomach loudly informed me that I was hungry. So we got up - we had not bothered to move from the floor - and wandered out of my flet in search of food. We found some in the kitchens, where we then wolfed it down, both reasoning that there was no point in taking it up to our flets when we were both so hungry that we'd devour it in seconds, anyways. Then we headed out, heading somewhere - I certainly didn't have a direction in mind - and ran into Kari.  
  
"Monkey!" I exclaimed in fright, and hid behind Glorfindel. In the silence that followed, I cautiously peeked around Glorfindel to find Kari still standing there, looking surprised.  
  
"Middle-Earth does not have caffeine." Kari said finally, suspiciously.  
  
"Naw, it has Glorfindel. Twice as good. I'm thinking of bottling him and selling the bottles for $3.50 each back home. Whaddaya think?" I asked. Kari arched an eyebrow. "University students would probably love it, yes?"  
  
"What DID you give her to eat?" Kari asked, glancing at Glorfindel.  
  
"Pixie stix." Glorfindel replied blandly, and I giggled. Kari looked at Glorfindel in surprise for a moment.  
  
"You are both insane." she finally declared.  
  
"So are you." I replied promptly. "Or at least you were. Maybe 800 years with Elrohir has inflicted you with normalcy?" I peered at Kari intently.  
  
"Yo juzuw rallangoo Glorfindel faezh." Kari replied promptly. I paused, taking a few moments to adjust my brain to remember the language Kari and I had made up oh-so long ago, as my internal translator didn't seem to be able to handle it. When I translated what Kari had said, I peered up at Glorfindel as I formulated a reply. {Glorfindel is a purple pickle.}  
  
"Uver shi yo murr'iz elf lawna gah r'urokrow jei." I said. Kari wrinkled her nose. {Looks like a sexy elf lord to me.}  
  
"Do you know how OLD he is?" she asked.  
  
"Do you know how old Elrohir is?" I retorted.  
  
"2888." Kari replied promptly. "Whereas I'm not sure even Glorfindel knows how old he is."  
  
"7254 as of last October." Glorfindel replied casually. I blinked up at him, and he shrugged. "Add 3644 years if you want to count the ones where I was dead." I mentally did just that.  
  
"10898?" I asked, and then turned back to Kari. "Murr'iz gah faezh, zoj baevoo kue efae." {He is sexy, no matter how old.}  
  
"Yeah, but..." Kari wrinkled her nose. "Shimork'gl gah faezh !" {He is boring!}  
  
"You have no idea how wrong you are." I replied, grinning. Kari eyed Glorfindel.  
  
"What are you two saying? Or do I want to know?" Glorfindel asked warily.  
  
"We're just debating you." I replied, bouncing on the balls of my feet.  
  
"Somehow that scares me." Glorfindel muttered.  
  
"Good." I said, and turned my attention back to Kari. "I thought you were mad at me?" I asked.  
  
"You are incredibly hard to stay mad at." she said grumpily. "Especially when you start acting hyper."  
  
"Ah! Munderful." I said, nodding.  
  
"And I just came back from talking to my grandmother-in-law." Kari replied, twitching. I arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Creepy Lady strikes again." I said.  
  
"Indeed." I whirled at the sound of the very-unamused voice and found Celeborn standing behind me. What he was doing down at the kitchens, I have no idea, but there he was.  
  
"Creepy Lady's Scary Husband!" I squeaked, figuring the damage was already done and I couldn't make it much worse, then hid behind Glorfindel. I heard Celeborn sigh.  
  
"Lord Glorfindel, we have found a messenger willing to go to Rivendell." he said. "Unless you wish to return yourself, now?"  
  
"He's staying." I answered, poking my head around Glorfindel.  
  
"Lord Glorfindel?" Celeborn asked pointedly. Glorfindel seemed to hesitate, and glanced down at me. I knew, then, that he did indeed have orders from Elrond, and I resolved to at least bop the Peredhil next time I saw him. Glorfindel still hadn't given Celeborn an answer, and was still looking down at me, so I arched an eyebrow up at him, letting him make his own decision.  
  
"I believe it would be wiser for me to stay, Lord Celeborn." Glorfindel said finally, still looking down at me.  
  
"Very well then. Would you like to brief the messenger now, or tomorrow?" Celeborn said, and Glorfindel looked up at the Elven ruler.  
  
"The sooner the messengers get back to Rivendell, the sooner the Fellowship can leave." he said, and Celeborn nodded.  
  
"Manveru is down at the paddocks, readying his horse." the elf ruler said, then gave a slight bow to Glorfindel, who returned it with a deeper one, and then, without even waiting to see if I would curtsey (I wasn't about to leave the protection of Glorfindel to do so, anyways), Celeborn turned and glided off.  
  
"Gah, with grandparents like that, it's no wonder that only one of Elrond's kids is married." I shuddered. Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"I have a messenger to find. Do you want to come with me?" he asked, changing the subject.  
  
"Sure!" Kari and I both said as one. We looked at each other in surprise, and then I grinned mischievously.  
  
"Kari, did you teach Elrohir Diyla?" I asked.  
  
"Nooooo..." she replied cautiously. "Why?"  
  
"What say we send him a message, via this messenger Manveru, that says that 'yo fobobair nawe shmirm tnik tay faezh.'" I said with a grin. {your dad is an evil nipple boy.}  
  
"How saying that 'Yo juzuw elf Elrohir faezh, jek Elladan faezh aev uver'...mmm, what was our word for squirrel again?" Kari paused thoughtfully. {Elrohir is a purple elf, and Elladan is attractive to... - literally: Elladan is cute to...}  
  
"I don't think we made one." I said thoughtfully.  
  
"Let's just send 'yo fobobair nawe shmirm tnik tay faezh', then." Kari said with a shrug.  
  
"Okie." I replied, and then looked up at Glorfindel expectantly.  
  
"What does 'yo fobobair nawe shmirm tnik tay faezh' mean?" he asked warily.  
  
"Tell you later." I replied airily. "Now, paddocks?" Glorfindel sighed, then headed off the way Celeborn had went, Kari and I following.  
  
We reached the paddocks rather quickly, and found the messenger even more quickly - rather hard NOT to find him, considering he was the only elf in sight. Glorfindel briefed the elf on his messages - mostly stuff about orcs movements and other such things - and then went off to get some written messages, leaving Manveru to Kari and me. We grinned at each other, and then asked him - very nicely - if he'd take a message for us. By the time Glorfindel got back, not only had Manveru agreed to pass on our message, but he'd learned how to pronounce the words correctly. Glorfindel just rolled his eyes at us when he got back and saw our very-pleased-with-ourselves looks, and handed Manveru a package of papers wrapped in an oiled cloth.  
  
"If you see Orcs, run and don't stop until you get to Rivendell." Glorfindel said in parting to Manveru, who nodded before strapping the bundle of papers to his horses saddle - which he had somehow managed to put on while Kari and I had been talking to him. Then Kari and I followed Glorfindel as he left the paddock area.  
  
-*-*-  
  
A slightly disshevelled CS: *glares at Gil-Galad* Nof air. You started the scene without me.  
  
Gil-Galad: *shrug* You were busy.  
  
CS: *sighs, attempts to make herself look presentable, then sits down on the currently unconcious Haldir...no, you don't want to know how he got that way...nor why his ears are now pink and bunny-fied* Alright. Piece was cut for the obvious reason: too quick of a resolution between Kari and Rachel. Also the whole sick-Rachel thing. I also wanted more to happen at the hot springs...  
  
Gil-Galad: Because we all know what romantic spots hot springs are...even several-thousand-year-old Elf-lords know.  
  
CS: Yes indeed. Now, before Haldir wakes up and decides to turn me into sushi because of his precious ears, we shall move on to the next bit. It is from chapter 59, and was how I originally started the chapter. I cut it because...well, I didn't like the way it was going. I also didn't like the time skip-age. The duel, however, I liked and worked into chapter 61, in a way...and the chat with Boromir got re-written and put in another chapter, of course.  
  
-*-*-  
  
The next few weeks were, I'm sure, some of the most interesting Caras Galadhon had had since Elrohir and Elladan were kids. With not only Boromir, but Merry and Pippin, with me, I was only one short (Faramir being absent) of my full army, and took full advantage of it. And the best part was, as long as we made sure to run into Celeborn first after doing anything that might get us into trouble, we usually got off very lightly - after all, if Celeborn had already punished us, Galadriel couldn't very well do anything, could she?  
  
Though that didn't stop her from trying every once and awhile. She didn't try very hard, though, and I think it was because she saw as well as Kari and I did the effect the shenanigans had on the Elves of Lothlórien and the Fellowship - they'd been extremely disheartened after the news of Gandalf's death, and the topic of 'What Rachel & Co. Have Done Now' always cheered them up. Though I was still Asira to them - having been introduced as Asira, and not wanting to seem like I had multiple personalities or was wanting to claim the name of the only Elf to suicide in Rivendell (who just about blinking EVERY elf had heard of, it seemed), I just let it be. There were a few questions from Haldir, Rúmil and Orophin about why Glorfindel called me 'Rachel', but Glorfindel said something to them that somehow stopped their questions - I don't know what it was, nor did I ask.  
  
It did make for interesting practices, however. Rúmil and Orophin - and sometimes Haldir - had taken to joining Glorfindel, Boromir and I at the practice fields most afternoons, when Boromir practiced - usually sparring with some Elf or another near the end - and Glorfindel taught me how to use a double-bladed sword. The two brothers eventually ended up sparring, as well, and sometimes they had a little free-for-all with Boromir, if Kari or someone else who spoke both Common and Elvish was available to translate for them.  
  
Other members of the Fellowship also occasionally came along to the fields, Aragorn being the most common one, and we taught them as they came. Then, unfortunately, three weeks after the Fellowship's arrival, came the day that Glorfindel informed me that he had no more to teach me, and I'd have to get Haldir - who happened to be there that day - to teach me more. Haldir smirked when he heard Glorfindel say that.  
  
"You sure you don't have anything more you can teach me?" I asked Glorfindel, eyeing Haldir slightly worriedly.  
  
"I am sure." Glorfindel said with slight amusement.  
  
"Come now; do you not want to learn from a master of the double-bladed sword?" Haldir asked, still smirking.  
  
"Yes, but I would very much have preferred that someone other than you was a master of it." I replied, making a face. "I've heard tales enough even before coming to Lothlórien of the rigors of training in weaponry, and while I know I've had it easy with Glorfindel, I have no doubt that all those stories will be put to shame by you." Haldir grinned in a disturbingly evil manner.  
  
"You have no idea." he said, his eyes gleaming. He came forward, pulling his - much bigger - double-bladed sword off of his back, and removed the sheaths, tossing them to Orophin. I unsheathed my borrowed sword - the smiths said mine would be ready in a few more days - and readied myself as Haldir calmly looked at me for a moment. Then, with a smile, he suddenly attacked, and I was put on the defensive.  
  
"Too slow." Haldir said after a moment, and the tip of one of his blades nicked my cheek to emphasize his point.  
  
"Too fast." I shot back, and then launched into an offensive. Haldir's blades seemed to be everywhere, however, and nothing got past him.  
  
"Too slow." Haldir repeated almost patiently, and then attacked again, more slowly this time, informing me of all my mistakes as I made them - and none too nicely. Then he attacked with full speed again, and every time I repeated a mistake he'd already pointed out to me, he nicked me somewhere with one of his blades. By the time he announced that that was all for now, I have multiple nicks on my cheeks, one or two on my legs, and three on the back of my hands.  
  
I glared at Haldir as I sheathed the sword. He looked back serenely, and abruptly I whirled and looked about for Boromir. I found him not far away, watching, taking a break from sparring with Glorfindel - and his shield was resting beside him. Legolas and Aragorn were sparring behind him, but I barely took notice as I snatched Boromir's shield and gave Haldir a very solid whack on the behind with it. The Marchwarden's loud curse caused everyone in the training ground to stop, attention suddenly riveted on us as I calmly returned Boromir's shield to him.  
  
Now Haldir was glaring at me as I looked back at him serenely. Then he removed his blade from his back again - where he'd just put it, and unsheathed it. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Glorfindel start to move from where he had been resting, but before he could reach the ring, I unsheathed my own weapon and held it at the ready, calmly arching an eyebrow and inviting Haldir to attack.  
  
And for a wonder, the normally collected Marchwarden did. The Elf may trade insults with me like nobodies business, but he was always in control of himself when he did so - he was not now. I wondered, absently, as I parried his slashes, if I had pushed him too far, but then forced myself to concentrate on fighting.  
  
It became clear, however, that while Haldir couldn't get past my defenses - either his anger had slowed him, or I was pulling another Instant Improvement Fluke - I couldn't launch an offensive against him. We were locked in a stalemate, just waiting for one of us to tire. It never came to that, though, as we were separated by two blurs - my momentum, both physical and mental, made me launch into an offensive slash when I saw an opening, but it was easily parried, and that was enough time for me to ease myself out of Attack Mode. I stood blinking at Glorfindel, and behind him and to the side somewhat, I saw Haldir doing the same to Legolas.  
  
"What did you do THAT for?" I demanded the first to break the silence that had started when I had hit Haldir on the butt with Boromir's shield.  
  
"That was NOT a spar. It was a duel." Glorfindel said tightly. "One likely to result in injury."  
  
"Or something else less pleasant." Legolas put in with annoyance. "Is there not enough destruction in the lands for you two, that you must fight with each other?" I bit my tongue to keep from saying anything stupid, and silence fell again. After a time, I turned from Glorfindel and walked over to where the sheaths to my weapon had fallen. I put them on the blades, and then carefully stepped over to Legolas and Haldir. A quick glance at Legolas made him back off with a slight bow, and I stepped in front of Haldir.  
  
"Sorry." I said, so quietly I know only Haldir could hear me - though I'm sure others saw my lips move - and then I held out his borrowed sword. He took it without hesitation, and I turned and left the practice arena. I heard Boromir follow, and so went to one of the more private spots in Caras Galadhon - a small pool coming off the river we had thrown Celeborn in not long ago. I sat down on the bank and hugged my legs to my chest, staring blankly out over the water as Boromir sat down beside me. I waited for him to speak first, using the time until he did to go over in my mind what had just happened and why.  
  
I knew I had been in the wrong, and that it had been my place to apologize - which is why I had done so. But why had I whacked Haldir in the first place, and why had he reacted so strongly? Was it a result of Haldir's and my verbal sparring, come to a head in physical combat? No, Haldir and I had never had any true animosity towards each other. We always knew that we didn't really mean what we said - it was just that we couldn't stop ourselves, or rather, didn't want to stop ourselves. It was nice to have someone to have an intelligent argument with in this world where most evil either Haldir or I would come up against was mindless and not really worth getting mad at.  
  
So what was it that had driven us to a duel this afternoon?  
  
"Asira?" Boromir's voice broke into my thoughts, and I turned my head slightly towards him, indicating that I'd heard. "What happened?"  
  
"That's what I'd like to know, and am trying to figure out." I said quietly and ruefully. There was a short silence.  
  
"Damn, Faramir is much better at this sort of thing." Boromir muttered, and I chuckled.  
  
"Indeed he is. Annoyingly elf-like, that boy." I said, and then shook my head. "Him and Imrahil."  
  
"Aye." Boromir said, a fond smile crossing his face. "I wish one of them was here."  
  
"Why's that?" I asked, glancing at him. "Besides their people intuition. Because I can tell it's more than that." Boromir hesitated, and then sighed.  
  
"I feel like I am out of my league." he said softly. "I came to Rivendell expecting to get nothing more than a translation of a dream, and yet now I find myself on a quest to save all of Middle-Earth - which I'm not even sure will work - with the heir to the throne of Gondor, a dwarf, an Elven Prince, and four hobbits, creature I had never heard of until only recently. And as if that isn't enough, it turns out that one of my closest friends, who is as close as Faramir to me, is an Elf." I looked at Boromir, who seemed for a moment to have the weight of the world on his shoulders, and felt a surge of sympathy. I reached over and hugged him. After a moment, Boromir returned the hug.  
  
"I'm still the same old me, Boromir." I said, pulling away and looking at him seriously. "I may not act like it, but it's true. The fact that I'm an Elf should not be part of the burden you carry. It changes nothing."  
  
"Except for the fact that you have seen more wonders than I ever could and have infinitely more wisdom." Boromir said dryly. I looked at him incredulously, and then burst out laughing.  
  
"Boromir, when the flying penguin have I EVER had infinitely more wisdom than you?!" I exclaimed. "Do you think that I hid my wisdom just so I wouldn't stick out in Gondor? No, you big lug - I am now, and always have been, a half-insane lady with strange thinking patterns who is sometimes woefully stupid about the world around her.  
  
"And as for seeing more wonders than you ever could - the extent of my traveling has been from Rivendell, to Bree, to Gondor, and then to various places in Rohan and Gondor. All of these places you have been, or could see with a ride of perhaps a year. And you have seen places *I* have not, though I've wished to - Dol Amroth and Ithilien, to name two. You want to talk about seeing more wonders than you ever could, and having infinitely more wisdom, go speak to Glorfindel or one of the other Elves that has been around since the Second Age - or before." Boromir was looking at me in surprise by the time I finished, and I waited as what I had said sunk in. Boromir frowned lightly when it did.  
  
"How old are you, then?" he asked, then added politely, "If you don't mind me asking."  
  
"937, as of this month." I replied with a small smile, and Boromir looked very surprised. "I'm not as old as you thought, am I?" I asked with a grin, and he nodded.  
  
"I thought you to be at least a thousand, quite likely two or more." he said.  
  
"No, not quite there yet." I said with a grin. "Not all elves are old, m'boy. Though I'll admit, I'm probably the second youngest Elf out there at the moment."  
  
"Second youngest?" Boromir asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Kari's 5 months younger than me." I replied with a grin.  
  
"Five months, out of how many years? Somehow it does not seem like such a big gap." Boromir replied with amusement.  
  
"When you get to be in the hundreds and thousands, age really stops to matter." I said dryly. "I mean, if elves went by the human measurements...well, I'm pretty sure the large majority of Elven couples would be frowned upon for the large age difference." Boromir looked amused, and glanced over at me with a teasing twinkle in his eyes.  
  
"Indeed." was all he said, though I could practically see the teases about Glorfindel and me waiting to come out. The whole Fellowship had been rather amused when they'd found out about that - from Kari, as it happened - and Boromir usually didn't pass up a chance to get in a jibe about it. I didn't press the matter, though, and Boromir and I fell into silence once again.  
  
"I think we were both in bad moods." I said suddenly, and Boromir looked at me in amusement, not even needing to ask what I was talking about.  
  
"So it would seem." he said, then abruptly stood, as if that was a signal. He held out a hand to me, and I took it, letting myself be pulled up from the bank. Boromir glanced up at the sky, and I noticed that it was starting to get dark.  
  
"Kitchens." I said, looking at Boromir, and he nodded before setting off in that direction, pulling me along behind him.  
  
---  
  
Boromir and I ran into no one we knew - at least not very well - as we went to the kitchens, nor as we ate, or after we left. It was kind of strange - I thought that Glorfindel might, at least, be looking for me, but perhaps he'd decided I was safe in the hands of Boromir. Or maybe he just hadn't been able to find Boromir and me.  
  
Whatever the reason, for once, I was glad to be alone with Boromir for awhile. He and I - and Faramir - had often sat, or walked, and talked, and I'd sort of missed it since I'd left Rivendell. Kari and Glorfindel were wonderful, but I couldn't seem to have any sort of a serious conversation with Kari, and Glorfindel...well, let's just say that despite my protestations to Boromir about age not really mattering when you were an Elf, there were sometimes when it did. Glorfindel had such a wealth of knowledge packed into his handsome head, and such an abundance of wisdom and cleverness, that it was hard to talk to him seriously without feeling inferior. I wondered absently of Celeborn felt the same thing with Galadriel, and if he did, if that was one of the reasons why he and I got along so well.  
  
-*-*-  
  
Haldir: *groans*  
  
CS: *runs away*  
  
Gil-Galad: *sighs* I shall have to calm Haldir down and then go fetch CS, I suppose. In the mean time, here's another little snippt from chapter 59 - the newer version, this time. It contains the original way in which Boromir discovered that Glorfindel and Rachel were a couple. It was cut because better a idea came along.  
  
Haldir: Wha...*blinks, touches his still pink and bunny-fied ears, twitches and reaches for his sword while looking around* Where is that -  
  
Gil-Galad: *hastily interupting Haldir* Here's the chapter!  
  
-*-*-  
  
Somehow, every day, Glorfindel and I managed to get away from everybody else for a little bit, and because we disappeared so thoroughly when we wanted to be alone, it took Boromir just over two weeks to realize that Glorfindel and I were linked romantically - and then he found out in a rather undeniable manner, as it came one evening when he, Glorfindel, Kari and I were going for a walk along the river, and Kari and I were debating quite emphatically about something or another that I can't even remember anymore. Glorfindel had gotten tired of our arguing, and asked us to stop, but we'd ignored him, and so Glorfindel used his favorite method of shutting me up, 'since there were no grapes nearby to throw at Kari.' Boromir stopped walking and looked at the two of us.  
  
"Oh, right. I haven't told him." I said with amusement when I noticed Boromir's surprised expression. "Way to shock the poor guy, Glory." I gave Glorfindel a playful whap, and he arched an eyebrow at me.  
  
"When did this happen?" Boromir finally asked, pointing at Glorfindel and me, where I was still being held by my Elf-lord.  
  
"A few weeks after we got to Caras Galadhon." I replied.  
  
"Oh." Boromir said, and then started walking again, a thoughtful look on his face. The rest of us followed, Glorfindel with his arm around me waist, and there was silence for a few moments. Then Boromir suddenly turned to look at me, and I could see the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.  
  
"Keep in mind that Kari got thrown in a river for calling Glorfindel a boring old Elf-lord!" I warned Boromir, and he got a slightly sulky look.  
  
"That's no fair." he said.  
  
"Of course it is. You have full access to teasing me about everything else - why should it not be fair that there's one subject you're not allowed to touch without retribution?" I said, arching an eyebrow at him.  
  
"But that's the most interesting subject!" Boromir protested.  
  
"And the most personal. Ergo, you can't touch it." I said.  
  
"Unless you're me." Kari said with a grin.  
  
"And that's only because Glorfindel can shoot back as good as you give, and he tells the most interesting tales about Elrohir's youth." I said with a smirk, and then turned to Boromir. "You, however, seem to love your swords more than women, and therefore, I have nothing I can shoot back at you."  
  
"So you're saying that I have to have a love life to tease you about your love life?" Boromir asked thoughtfully, and I nodded.  
  
"Exactly!" I said, and Boromir shook his head somewhat.  
  
"Very unfair." he said, and I reached over and flicked him on the arm.  
  
"View it as my one attempt to meddle in your love life." I said as he rubbed his arm and glared at me.  
  
"Why do I find it hard to believe you have not tried to meddle in his love life before this?" Glorfindel murmured, and I shot him a mock scowl.  
  
"Because you know her too well." Kari said with a grin, also having heard him.  
  
"Ah, I do not think there is such a thing as knowing her too well." Glorfindel said, giving me a tender smile. Boromir made a rude noise, and I whipped my head in his direction. He looked back innocently as I narrowed my eyes at him. Then he abruptly found himself on the ground, me sitting on his back, and tickling him mercilessly. Things just went downhill from there, and it was a very disheveled - and tired - group that eventually made its way back to the Fellowship's pavilion, and then off to their own sleeping quarters.  
  
-*-*-  
  
CS: *to Gil-Galad* DUDE. You hafta stop doing that!  
  
Gil-Galad: Stop being busy when it's time to start a new chapter then! Or get me more help, if you wish the audience to be entertained while you and Haldir *pauses, smirks* while you and Haldir flirt.  
  
CS: *blink*  
  
Haldir: *twitchspasm* I will not kill the king of the Noldor. I will not kill the king of the Noldor. I will not kill the king of the Noldor. I will not kill the -  
  
CS: You kill him, I'll give you many shiny things.  
  
Haldir: ...  
  
Glorfindel: *appears* NO. *whacks Haldir* No killing. Otherwise I would have to kill you. and you wouldn't want your blood spattered all over your new shiny things now, would you?  
  
Haldir: Hmm, no, I suppose not. It would probably escalate from there, anyways, and two kinslayings is two too many as it is...  
  
CS: Bah. *turns Gil-Galad into a frog* There. Now he has to be kissed by Elrond to turn back.  
  
Frog!Gil-Galad: Ribbit! *looks at Glorfindel commandingly*  
  
Glorfindel: *looks at Frog!Gil-Galad in amusement, then picks said frog up and disapears*  
  
CS: Heh. Now that that annoyance is out of the way, on with the next bit! It's from chapter 74 - which is the chapter in which Rachel, Kari, Elladan and Glorfindel plotted to get Lothíriel and Éomer together. This particular piece had a bit of a prologue to it that ended up being deleted, but the basis of it was that this happens the day after the camp-fire planning session, right when they begin to implement The Plan. The intent was to get Éomer sparring, shirtless, with Rachel, and have Lothíriel watching, but I couldn't figure out how to get it there and so scrapped the idea, and the scene...  
  
-*-*-  
  
It involved, joy of joys, me hitting Haldir up for lessons with my sword again - which, due to the fact that we took hour-or-so long lunches, there was plenty of time for.  
  
Haldir was quick to agree to giving me lessons, and so, even before most of the Men had finished eating, he, Glorfindel and Elladan cleared a spot in the center of the camp while Kari and I sat and 'supervised'. Elrohir wandered in just at the three male Elves started, so Kari drafted him as well, and when they were done, I went to get my sword. I could have gotten it while they were preparing the practice ring, of course, but the whole point was to draw the event out so that people would come watch.  
  
It turned out to work better than we had supposed it would, as the sight of me walking across camp with my double-bladed sword attracted the attention of most of the Gondorians, half of the Swan Knights, and Imrahil. And as Haldir and I began to spar, more and more kept drifting in to watch, until soon we were the focus of attention for the majority of the escort - the exclusions being the Elves and the Fellowship, of course. Haldir, amazingly, didn't take the opportunity to publicly humiliate me (I think he was afraid of what the Gondorians might do) and actually just focused on the lesson. As a result, it was one of the most pleasant lessons I'd had with him yet, and I found myself quite pleased at with this unexpected boon.  
  
The lesson ended when the command came for us to get going, and we were soon mounted up and on our way. I rode next to Haldir as he rode with the guards - Glorfindel having entangled himself in the mess that was Elrond's Emotionally Well-Being - and discussed moves to use with a double-bladed sword. Now that we weren't in front of a crowd, of course, it was littered with our normal insults, and several times the monotony of the ride was interrupted by either Haldir or I galloping by, being followed closely by whichever one of us had been insulted. Galadriel would, of course, order Haldir back to his place after a few moments, but it was still great fun, and around mid-afternoon, after one of Haldir's and my little chases, I didn't bother to follow Haldir back to his place in line.  
  
Instead, I set Aratelpe in the direction of the Rohirric group, and rode casually up next to Éomer where he was riding alone. He cast me a somewhat amused glance when I rode up, but said nothing at first. I knew he would speak eventually, so I simply waited.  
  
"Were you and the Marchwarden having fun?" Éomer finally asked.  
  
"Of course." I replied promptly. "Questioning the purity of his Elven blood, and his taste in mates, is always fun." Éomer cast me a somewhat shocked look.  
  
"You two do not get along, then?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, we get along." I said, waving a hand through the air dismissively. "At least, in the sense that we'll insult each other every chance we get."  
  
"I fail to see how that is 'getting along'." Éomer said, sounding somewhat confused.  
  
"Hmm...well, we really are friends, deep down, but we find it far too easy to poke fun at each other, and we know this. We also know that since we're just insulting each other because it's too darn easy, we don't really mean it, and don't take offence. So we get along, but not in the normal sense of the phrase." I explained. Éomer looked thoughtful for a moment.  
  
"Ah." he finally said, seeming to understand.  
  
"It is a pain having to have sword lessons from him, though." I said with a frown. "Especially since that leaves me somewhat indebted to him, and he milks it for all that it's worth."  
  
"He did not seem to be taking advantage of it at lunch." Éomer commented.  
  
"That was because he had an audience and had to hold up the image of an aloof, superior Elf from Lothlórien." I said with a grin. "If he just has Elves around, or nobody is paying attention, he'll be as unpleasant as you please. Or don't please. Whatever." Éomer shook his head lightly.  
  
"And Lord Glorfindel does not mind this?" he asked.  
  
"He only minds when we involve him in it, or when we engage in it when he'd rather have me all to himself." I replied with a grin.  
  
"Involve him in it...?" Éomer arched an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I want to know."  
  
"You probably don't." I said with a grin. "And anyways, it's a standard rule with him - whether it's pointless arguments with Kari or insult trading with Haldir, Glory is to be left out of it. I think he prefers not to be used to poke fun at someone, and if he's going to be argued over pointlessly, he wants to be in on the argument."  
  
"Very true." Glorfindel said, suddenly coming up beside me.  
  
"Hey, you managed to get away from Elrond unscathed!" I remarked cheerily.  
  
"This time." Glorfindel said, casting a fearful look back the way he had come, and Éomer and I chuckled.  
  
"Well, I'm sure Éomer won't mind if you join us for a while to recuperate before plunging back into that particularly blood-thirsty battle." I said with a smirk.  
  
"Not at all." Éomer agreed, looking amused.  
  
"We were just discussing Haldir." I put in cheerily, and Glorfindel immediately cast a considering look back at Elrond. I thwapped him, and Glorfindel gave a mock-grimace before letting his expression settle into pleasantly amiable.  
  
"What were you discussing about the Marchwarden?" he asked.  
  
"How annoying he is." I replied promptly. "Especially when I have to have lessons from him."  
  
"You are the one that wanted to learn." Glorfindel pointed out.  
  
"Yes, but does he have to take so much pleasure from it?" I asked.  
  
-*-*-  
  
Elrond: *appearing* Crimson Starlight, I feel I must come and compla- *stops, blinks, stares at CS and Haldir*  
  
Haldir and CS: *continue making out*  
  
Elrond: *twitch*  
  
Glorfindel: *appears, still carrying Frog!Gil-Galad* Elrond, will you ju- *stares at CS and Haldir* Well, I guess that explains why he keeps getting into her stories.  
  
Elrond: I guess so. *pulls out one of those screen-thingys, that you only seem to find in the orient or in medieval dressing rooms, and uses it to hide CS and Haldir from view* Ahem.  
  
Glorfindel: Well...er...shall we make a stab at doing these last two, or...*holds up Gil-Galad*  
  
Elrond: *shrinks away* Let's just guess. It can't be that hard. I mean look, she has notes. *points to pile of papers half-under the screen*  
  
Glorfindel: Right then. *sets down an indignant-looking Frog!Gil-Galad (who promptly tries to hop up Elrond's leg) and gets papers* Let's see...'From chapter 75 - set just after the group leaves Edoras. Removed due to irrelevancy and-'...hey, wait, I remember this scene! This was a nice scene! How was it irrelevant?!  
  
Elrond: What scene? Let me see. *looks* Ah. Yes. It was rather irrelevant. And see what else she put, as well - 'I felt this was dragging the story out unnecisarily'.  
  
Glorfindel: But...but...it's a nice scene!  
  
Elrond: You're only saying that because you get to make out with Rachel multiple times.  
  
Glorfindel: AND?! What's wrong with that?!  
  
Elrond: ...no comment.  
  
-*-*-  
  
The only problem with the trip, however, was that it severely cut down on my Elf-lord cuddling (and other activities) time. I mean, it was one thing to be all mushy in the woods around or gardens in Caras Galadhon, where one could at least PRETEND that no one was within sight (even though someone usually was, due to Elvish eyesight being so good) but it was another thing entirely when surrounded either riding and surrounded by elves, or camping and surrounded by sleeping elves who would probably wake up at the slightest non-natural sound.  
  
I handled it rather well, at first, considering how much time I was used to spending alone with Glorfindel, but after a few days, it just got to be too much, and one night when we stopped to set up camp, I grabbed Glorfindel's arm before he could dismount from Asfaloth.  
  
"Don't bother." I informed him.  
  
"Hm?" he asked, looking at me curiously.  
  
"I want to get away from camp for a bit." I said, and he smiled slightly as he translated that correctly to 'I want to get away from other people'.  
  
"Very well then." Glorfindel said, a sudden twinkle in his eyes, and before I realized what he was going to do, he reached over to me and managed to pull me off of Aratelpe and over onto Asfaloth, so I was sitting sideways in front of him.  
  
"Ack!" I exclaimed, drawing the attention of several nearby Elves, who gave us those oh-so-annoying knowing smiles before politely ignoring us.  
  
"Elladan!" Glorfindel called, the Peredhil being the first Elf he saw that wasn't busy with their own horse. Elladan looked up somewhat sheepishly - apparently he was doing something he wasn't supposed to and thought he just got caught.  
  
"Yes Glorfindel?" he asked, his guilt clear in his voice.  
  
"See to my lady's horse?" Glorfindel asked with amusement, nodding towards Aratelpe, then urged Asfaloth out of the camp, leaving a shocked Elladan behind. I grinned over Glorfindel's shoulder at him and waved. He gave a bewildered wave in return, and then turned to Aratelpe. I chuckled, then snuggled up again Glorfindel and enjoyed the ride.  
  
It didn't take long until we reached the sentries that were - amazingly - already in place, and they simply shot us amused looks as we went past. I was slightly concerned about being out of the ring of guards - being overdue for an Orc attack and all - but Glorfindel still had his sword with him, and quite frankly, I'd rather have him and his sword in-between me and a bunch of orcs than the Lothlórien or Rivendell guards - Glorfindel, at least, was used to fighting mostly on the ground and wouldn't flee for the trees at the first opportunity so that he would have the advantage. Most of the other guards would, and probably completely forget in the process (if they knew in the first place) that I'm not all that good at climbing trees.  
  
For awhile, we simply rode out into the countryside, getting as far away from the camp as possible, but eventually we turned so that we were going parallel to the camp. I couldn't actually SEE the camp, of course, but Glorfindel apparently could, as he kept us going in an even circle around it, riding slowly, as we watched the last bit of the sun sink below the horizon.  
  
"What do you think Elladan was in the middle of doing?" Glorfindel asked after a moment.  
  
"I think it's more a question of what was he NOT doing." I replied with a smile, leaning my head back against Glorfindel's shoulder so I could watch the stars as they began to appear. Eärendil, I noticed, was already up there shining brightly. I smiled slightly, both at the star, and at the funny vibration against my back that was Glorfindel's low chuckle.  
  
"Indeed." he said as he rested his head on my shoulder, his eyes closing slightly as he dropped both of Asfaloth's reins to wrap his arms around my waist. Silence fell for a while as we rode, Glorfindel occasionally glancing over to the camp and correcting Asfaloth's course with his legs or a quiet verbal command, but otherwise just us and nature, in silence.  
  
It was when the glow in the west was almost gone, and the stars shining brightly throughout the sky, that Glorfindel lifted his head, looked to the sky, and started singing softly. It was one of those happy love songs that the Elves seemed to so rarely come up with, and it was perfect for the evening and the mood. The song started quietly, but grew louder as Glorfindel got into the song, and Asfaloth slowed and eventually stopped without Glorfindel even noticing, his eyes fixed on the stars and his concentration on his singing. I listened contentedly, and felt happiness wash over me. It was peaceful to be out here in the wilderness, alone with Glorfindel under the stars, and it felt so RIGHT.  
  
Glorfindel ended the song with a light kiss to the tip of my ear, causing me to let out an involuntary half-growl, half-moan. I moved so I could look over at Glorfindel, and saw him smiling slightly, his eyes twinkling with mischief.  
  
"You are an evil, evil elf." I told him quietly.  
  
"Nay, I'm just a tease." Glorfindel replied with a brief grin, and then gave me a kiss. I think he intended it to be a short kiss, but in revenge, I didn't let him go when he made to pull away. He didn't struggle too hard to get away, however.  
  
A snort from Asfaloth pulled us apart, and we both looked to the horses head to find him eyeing us with one big, brown eye, conveying his message clearly even though he couldn't speak. I giggled, Glorfindel chuckled, then I jumped off to the ground, and Glorfindel followed. He loosened Asfaloth's saddle girth, (even Elves preferred saddles on long journeys, after all) tied up anything that might get caught in a bush, and then firmly told the horse to stay nearby. Asfaloth looked between Glorfindel and me dubiously, but then whickered softly, snuffled Glorfindel's hair, and wandered off. Glorfindel watched him go with amusement.  
  
"That horse has far too much personality." he said.  
  
"Impossible." I said with a grin, and then took a look at my surroundings. As I'd thought, Asfaloth had stopped in a rather nice looking meadow, and it was no hardship whatsoever to lie down on the ground, snuggling up close to Glorfindel and staring up at the stars once again. This time, however, we didn't get lost in the stars, nor start singing. No, we were finally away from the camp by ourselves, and Glorfindel seemed as determined as I to make use of the time. We held each other, we kissed, we did all sorts of other things any Elf would find absolutely scandalous considering we weren't married, but would probably be viewed as rather tame back home in my world.  
  
At some point, I became aware of an underlying tension, and I realized it was the tension of holding back - of not letting ourselves get too emotionally involved, because we probably wouldn't be able to stop if we did. I wondered next if that was such a bad thing, even though I knew now what doing so would mean, and I asked Glorfindel as much. He took a few moments to kick his brain into the 'philosophical thinking' gear, and then tilted his head to one side as he looked down at me.  
  
"Perhaps not." he said after a moment. "But I, at least, would wish for a romantic setting."  
  
"Hmm, alone, out in the middle of a field, under the stars. Dunno about you, but I find that pretty romantic." I said, arching an eyebrow. I made myself sound serious, but I was teasing Glorfindel, and he knew it.  
  
"Alone, on dirt, with bugs crawling around underneath you, along with dead, prickly plants, stones, and other discomforts, and the very real possibility of someone deciding we've been gone too long and coming out to look for us." he countered, grinning slightly. His words, of course, brought to my attention suddenly that there WERE rocks, dead plants, and 'other discomforts' underneath me, and that was quickly followed by the mental 'ew' at the thought of what sort of bugs were probably within inches of me, and possibly in the dirt right under my back. I shuddered.  
  
"Gah. You had to mention the bugs, didn't you?" I growled, then wiggled out from underneath Glorfindel, stood up, and started brushing off my back and hair, and anyplace else that had touched the ground, while making faces. Glorfindel looked extremely amused.  
  
"What's this? The mighty Rachel afraid of bugs?" he teased.  
  
"Hey. I was afraid of a teenager's bad-grammared imagined creation. I have every right to be afraid of bugs." I replied with a slight sulk. "And besides, I'm not really afraid of them. Just really really really grossed out by them. Unless you're talking about that buggy thingy that was in 'Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan'. THAT bug I'm afraid of." I shuddered, and Glorfindel gave me a blank look. I gave him a brief explanation of the bug, and the premise of the movie, and though I knew he didn't understand half of what I said, he got the part about the bug, and seemed completely in agreement with me about being afraid of it.  
  
Actually, though I don't think he would admit it, I think my tale of that bug was what prompted him to stand up and suggest we go find Asfaloth and ride around again for a bit. Certainly, he didn't look even a little unhappy about leaving the meadow, and was quite determinedly NOT looking at anything that might have bugs on it. I snickered, but said nothing. I wondered how he'd react to some of the actual horror stories from my world, if this was how he reacted to 'Star Trek'. I made a mental note to get Kari to tell him - and any other Elf she could find, just for the heck of it - some horror stories. When I was far away. Because most of the horror stories she knew scared me shitless.  
  
-*-*-  
  
Glorfindel: I still say it's not irrelevant!  
  
Elrond: I won't be arguing with you. But now we have the absolute last part of this special feature - the alternate ending. Yes, 'The Games of the Gods' has an alternate ending. This is due to the reviewer AngelQueen, who made a comment in one of her reviews to the effect of 'maybe Mandos will have released Gil-galad from his halls by the time Rachel and Glorfindel get to Valinor'.  
  
Glorfindel: And we all know how well Crimson Starlight can resist a good joke.  
  
Elrond: In other words - she can't. It starts right after Rachel waves goodbye to Kari and runs on board the ship to Valinor...  
  
-*-*-  
  
I was quite depressed about leaving Kari behind for the first few days of the voyage to Valinor, but after that, excitement quickly set in, and from then on, I was mostly to be found either in rigging, at the front of the ship, or in the cabin Glorfindel and I shared with Glorfindel. Or the galley. All in all, I became rather predictable, and the others on the ship found it surprisingly easy to keep Galadriel away from me - though with my excitement, anytime I did run into her, most of the annoyance was generally on her part and due to me being annoyingly chipper.  
  
There was one slight disappointment about the entire journey. There was no obvious transition point between when we were just a normal ship sailing, that could, conceivably, run into another ship out there on the big blue, and when we were on what the Elves referred to as 'the straight road', heading to Valinor. The only clue I had was that one morning I woke up to the lookout in the crows nest reporting that he could see Valinor ahead.  
  
From the sighting of Valinor onwards, just about everybody was on deck for as long and as often as they possibly could be. I was absorbed in trying to see the legendary Undying Lands, myself, so I only casually noticed when Glorfindel, Elrond and Galadriel all disappeared at once, and that didn't even really register until I caught a flicker of dread coming across the bond from Glorfindel. I sent a questioning thought his way, but he insisted it was nothing, so I let it pass.  
  
Soon enough we were docking, and everyone on board was quite amused at the fact that, upon seeing who was at the head of the crowd waiting for us, Elrond did not wait for a gangplank or any otherwise convenient form of disembarking. No, he just pushed his robes aside and vaulted over the railing of the ship onto the dock and met Celebrían with a hug and kiss that had half those present embarrassed, and the other half whistling or laughing. For my part, seeing that Celebrían was alright was probably one of the better things about coming to Valinor. It allowed me to let go of that niggling piece of guilt I had about not doing anything to stop the Orc attack.  
  
Once the gangplank had been set up, the rest of us disembarked in a calmer fashion, and Galadriel was able to greet her daughter with a hug. Well, alright, she had to hug Elrond as well, since he didn't seem inclined to let go of Celebrían, but Galadriel didn't look as if she minded. The rest of us on the ship that knew Celebrían were then able to greet her, me being one of the last, as I knew Celebrían would probably need a moment or two to get over her shock, and would then want a brief explanation. I obliged, and just as I finished giving a brief explanation of how I'd 'died' and returned, that feeling of dread came from Glorfindel again.  
  
I turned to look in Glorfindel's direction with a concerned frown, but Elrond had apparently caught a whiff of whatever Glorfindel was dreading, and caught my attention quickly and engaged me in a conversation, before I could focus on Glorfindel and whoever he was talking to. That, of course, only made me more curious, and I sent many questioning thoughts Glorfindel's way, but I got the impression that they weren't even reaching him. The answer eventually provided itself, however.  
  
"Dammit, I want to see my Herald, Glorfindel! Get out of the bloody way!" The loud voice caused a momentary lull in the noise on the dock, and I turned with wide eyes to find none other than the High King Gil-galad pushing past a sheepish looking Glorfindel.  
  
"Elrond! You finally made it here!" Gil-galad said as he strode up, completely ignoring me.  
  
"And you made it out of Mandos' Halls." Elrond said with what looked suspiciously like a tight smile.  
  
"I think he got tired of me." Gil-galad said with a grin as the two clasped each others arms in a roman handshake. At this point, Glorfindel appeared at my side and attempted to lead me away, but Gil-galad caught the movement and turned from Elrond to Glorfindel and me. He simply looked at us for a moment.  
  
"So, you were not trying to keep me from Elrond after all, eh?" Gil-galad said, arching an eyebrow. "Who is this, then?"  
  
"The purple monkey from Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Land." I said with a straight face before Glorfindel could reply. Having recalled what Glorfindel said about Gil-galad's sense of humour, I now wanted to see if he was right about it. Gil-galad blinked at my response, and then slowly smiled.  
  
"Welcome to Valinor then, Ms. Purple Monkey." he said solemnly. "We are always pleased to have Elves of different lands travel here."  
  
"It's Mrs." I corrected. Gil-galad arched an eyebrow, and then noticed that Glorfindel was holding my hand. His eyes suddenly lit with understanding, and he grinned.  
  
"So, our lovely substitute Sun finally got married, did he?" the High King asked.  
  
"Yes indeed. Though the one he's married to shall have to express her concern over your referring to him as 'lovely'." I replied, quirking an eyebrow upwards.  
  
"Oh, you do not have to worry." Gil-galad replied dismissively, and grinned impishly at me. "I'd be far more likely to pounce on you than him."  
  
"Ew, High King cooties!" I said, making a face. Glorfindel couldn't hold in a snort of laughter. Everyone else was a little confused, not knowing what I meant, but Gil-galad got the gist of it and chuckled.  
  
"You have a most interesting wife, Glorfindel." he said, turning to Glorfindel.  
  
"Yes. I've yet to discover whether this is a good or bad thing, however." he said dryly. Gil-galad and I gave Glorfindel identical looks, arching our eyebrows at the same time. Glorfindel sighed. "I finally get you away from Haldir, and what does Mandos do? Release Gil-galad." Glorfindel grumbled, and I giggled.  
  
"Oh come on, you know you love it." I said with a grin.  
  
"Actually, I love you." Glorfindel corrected me. "The insanity just sort of follows you around."  
  
"And this is a bad thing?" Gil-galad put in, just a step ahead of me. Glorfindel glanced between me and the High King, then shook his head and held up his hands in defeat. Gil-galad and I immediately turned to the much more interesting, and important, task of finding out just what each other's sense of humour was like, completely ignoring those on the dock who knew me and shot somewhat despairing looks in our direction, especially when we set off away from the dock into Valinor proper discussing whether or not it would be possible to make a magnet big - and strong - enough to pull Vala's crowns off their heads.  
  
-*-*-  
  
Glorfindel: Somehow, I like the first ending better. Less traumatizing all around.  
  
Elrond: Yes. No offence, but I think I would jump back ON the ship if that had happened. Before, as AngelQueen commented, Valinor went 'KABOOM'.  
  
Glorfindel: Fortunately, however, the universe ended before we got that far, yes? *grins*  
  
Elrond: *rolls his eyes* Your wife is rubbing off on you.  
  
Glorfindel: Most likely.  
  
Elrond: Indeed. Ehm...so, we've come to the end of this little feature...do you think CS and Haldir have...er, stopped now? I'm not sure what her reaction would be if we ended this without her.  
  
Gil-Galad: *walking into view from behind screen* Considering that she's currently engaged in a game of strip poker with Haldir, I don't think she'll mind if you end without her.  
  
Glorfindel: *blink* How did you get de-frogged?  
  
Gil-Galad: I hopped into CS's shirt. *smirks*  
  
Elrond and Glorfindel: *looks at each other* Ew.  
  
CS: I HEARD THAT!  
  
Haldir: *tosses a few rocks over the screen that, miraculously (well, not really, considering who he's behind the screen WITH) hit Elrond and Glorfindel*  
  
Elrond: Ow.  
  
Glorfindel: *sulks* I don't have to take this. *disapears*  
  
Rachel: *appears, picks up a rock, stomps behind screen, and a loud 'THUMP' is heard*  
  
Haldir: OW!  
  
*a satisfied looking frog hops out from behind screen, then disapears*  
  
Gil-Galad: *looks amused*  
  
Elrond: *shakes head*  
  
Gil-Galad: Well, shall we end this, then?  
  
Elrond: I suppose...  
  
Gil-Galad: How shall we end it?  
  
Mandos: With The End.  
  
Elrond and Gil-Galad: *blink*  
  
Elrond: I thought Valar were banned from this story...  
  
Mandos: Yes, well, Crimson Starlight is a little distracted at the moment. And anyways, I am rather good at endings.  
  
Gil-Galad: *quietly* I wonder why...  
  
Mandos: *tosses a small rock at Gil-Galad, hitting him on the arm*  
  
Gil-Galad: *yelps, rubs arm, looks repentant*  
  
Mandos: Right then. This is the end of the special feature for 'The Games of the Gods', in which no games were ever actually played by gods.  
  
Elrond: That's a horrible ending...  
  
Mandos: *glares menacingly at Elrond*  
  
Elrond: *deffensively* It is!  
  
Mandos: *turns Elrond into a frog*  
  
Gil-Galad: What is it with people and FROGS?!  
  
Mandos: *shrug* It makes them walk funny when they get turned back...  
  
Gil-Galad: *blinks, walks funny, then twitches as he realizes Mandos is right*  
  
----And thus we come to the REAL end.---- 


End file.
